Home   »  Collection of Old British Frying Recipes

Collection of Old British Frying Recipes

This is a collection of old British frying or fried recipes which mainly refers to foods fried in a frying pan or skillet. Such as egg dishes, pancakes, potatoes, hashes, etc. We have a separate collection for rissoles, cutlets, croquettes, patties, sausages, etc which can be fried or sometimes baked, so for more frying recipes do check out that collection.

Table of Contents

A HANDBOOK OF COOKERY FOR A SMALL HOUSE BY JESSIE CONRAD [1923]

Scraped Meat Steak

Take about two pounds of lean steak cut very thick. Scrape it free from all fat or other particles with a sharp knife on to a big flat dish. Add pepper and salt to taste, about half a finely sliced and minced onion, a tablespoonful of Worcester sauce.

Work all together with the blade of the knife pressing the meat, etc., on the dish. In this way the onion should entirely disappear.

Form into little round cakes the size of a small round dinner biscuit only three times as thick. Roll in egg and breadcrumbs and fry lightly from three to seven minutes.

Place on a hot dish and serve. A welcome addition is the whole yolk of an egg served on each, and it is quite palatable prepared in this way and served quite raw.

Fried Fish

Plaice. Cut about two pounds of filleted plaice into four pieces. Beat an egg in a plate, white and yolk together. Put the fish into it and then into rolled rusk crumbs. Have ready in an enamelled frying pan about half a pound of best tub lard and when thoroughly hot (it can be found out by dropping a crumb into the fat when it will sizzle) it is ready for the dish. Lay the fish into it and fry for ten to fifteen minutes. Dish with a slice on a flat dish and serve with a garniture of lemon.

This recipe applies to soles—unless the sole is very thick, when it must fry for twenty minutes. Whiting for twenty minutes and halibut for twenty-five minutes.

Fried Smelts

Make a batter of one teacupful of flour mixed carefully with milk till it is quite thin enough to run. Add a pinch of salt. Have ready in an enamelled frying pan a quarter pound of best tub lard boiling. Dip each smelt well into the batter and fry in the hot lard for ten to fifteen minutes.

Whitebait

Are treated like smelts but the batter must be only half as thick and the time required for cooking is from seven to ten minutes. Take up the fish from the batter with a slice and scatter into the boiling fat. Do not crowd the pan on any account.

Salmon or Cod Cutlets

One and a half to two pounds in three or four cutlets, dip into a beaten egg and then roll in crumbs, made preferably of German rusks. Have ready a quarter of a pound of best tub lard in an enamelled frying pan and when hot put the fish in and fry for a quarter of an hour to twenty minutes, turning over once. To ascertain if properly cooked pass the knife down by the side of the bone and if cooked the knife will pass quite easily.

Dish with a slice on a flat dish and garnish with parsley and lemon cut in quarters.

Crimped Skate and Black Butter

Take about one and a half pounds of crimped skate. Have ready in an enamelled frying pan about two ounces of butter made hot and a tablespoonful of vinegar. Put it over the fire and let it slightly burn. Fry the skate in it for twenty minutes and then serve on a hot dish with a few slices of lemon laid round it.

Red Mullet

Take for four persons two good-sized mullets. (Remove the head if desired; never split them open.) Have a deep enamelled frying pan ready. Put into it three ounces of butter, four or five wafer-thin slices of onion, two tablespoonfuls of bottled tomato sauce or catsup.

Bring to a boil and lay the fish gently in the hot pan. Keep the butter boiling lightly round the fish. Baste frequently with a large spoon; then carefully turn the fish, taking care not to tear the skin (thus spoiling the appearance). Generally it will take from thirty to forty minutes to cook the fish through. This can be easily ascertained by passing the blade of a fine knife gently through the fish by the side of the bone.

Have a little more butter and tomato catsup melted together in a basin. Place the fish on a hot dish and pour the melted butter and tomato sauce you have ready over the fish and serve very hot. It should never be allowed to brown, so as to retain its pretty red colour.

Leg of Mutton Cutlets

Cut the leg of mutton in half, the top part for roasting and the rest of the leg cut into cutlets of about an inch thick (it should cut into four cutlets). Put half an ounce of butter into a pan and melt it over the fire. Fry the cutlets over a clear, brisk fire for five minutes, and turn over once during that time. Put the stove top on and cook the cutlets for fifteen minutes more. Then dish.

Mutton Cutlets and Mashed Potatoes

Cut three pounds of best end of neck of mutton (it is always best to cut your own cutlets), carefully remove the line of fat and scrape the bone which should not be longer than three inches. Chop the rest off.

Put one ounce of fresh butter in an enamelled frying pan and make it hot. Lay the cutlets in the butter and put over a brisk fire for three minutes. Turn once and place on the stove with the top on.

Cook for another fifteen minutes. If any doubt is felt as to their being done, it is well to cut one to see whether it is cooked perfectly. It should look red not purple, and the gravy should run. Arrange the mashed potatoes in a pyramid in the centre of the dish and stand the cutlets round it with a little paper frill on each bone.

Pancakes

Beat together two eggs, add a teacupful of milk. Mix into it one and a half ounces of flour and work it with a spoon to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt. Have your fire nice and hot and perfectly clear. Keep the top of the stove on all the time.

Take a piece of best tub lard and melt it in a frying pan (kept for pancakes only), run it well over the surface of the pan when it is quite hot. Turn the fat out and pour about a third of a teacupful of the batter into the pan taking care that it runs all over the pan, which should be only about the size of a pudding plate.

Loosen the edges with the blade of a knife and shake it from time to time to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Turn with a slice if unable to toss. Tossing is perfectly easy but requires some practice. It is done by a turn of the wrist, and if these directions are carefully followed the pancake should leave the pan perfectly clean.

Turn on to a flat dish and serve either with jam or sugar, or if savoury pancakes are desired the following hint is a good one: Melt in a cup on the stove about an ounce of fresh butter with a little finely shredded onion in it; put it into a hot sauce boat and serve with the pancakes.

Each pancake takes from five to seven minutes to cook.

French Fried Potatoes

Cut your peeled potatoes into long strips about half an inch in thickness and leave them in the cold water. Melt about half a pound of tub lard (not bladder lard as this has always flour mixed with it which causes the things to burn in the frying pan).

When the lard is hot, drop a small crumb into it and if the fat sizzles round it is ready for the potatoes. Put the pan over a brisk fire and drop the potatoes as you take them out of the water straight into the pan. If the pan is not large enough to take them all flat, cook in two lots.

Steaks on Toast

Take a nice thick steak, beat it lightly with the blade of a firm knife, cut into rounds say about the size of the foot of a large wineglass, allowing two little steaks per person. Sprinkle with a little salt. Have a deep frying pan with some good beef dripping ready melted. Cut some rounds of dry bread a little bigger than the meat.

Fry these a crisp brown in the dripping. Drain them on a strainer. Put some more fresh dripping in the pan and fry the little steaks which should be cooked so as to allow the gravy to run red when cut. Place each on the round of toast and serve very hot with some thick brown gravy.

Rump Steak with Kidney and Mushroom Sauce

Melt over a clear fire an ounce of butter in an enamelled frying pan, then put in one and a half pounds of rump steak to fry briskly for five minutes, turning over once. Put the stove top on then and cook the steak for fifteen to twenty minutes more. Prepare half an ox kidney cut into dice, half a Spanish onion chopped very fine, and six or seven mushrooms (which have been previously placed in salted water for a short time to remove all grit).

After dishing the steak put the kidney in the pan first, then the onion, then the mushrooms and fry very briskly but lightly for ten to fifteen minutes. Then add half a teaspoonful of Worcester sauce, six tablespoonfuls of water, and half a tablespoonful of flour mixed very smooth and thin with a little water. Bring to a boil and turn over the steak before serving.

Kidneys in Onions

To those who are fond of an onion there is hardly a more appetising dish than onions prepared in the following manner. Take four or five decent-sized sound onions. Small Spanish are the best. Cut rather a deep slice off the top after removing the outer skin. You can then take the centre out; say you remove half the onion leaving about four of the thicknesses. Have ready two or three sheep’s kidneys prepared in the following manner: Skin each kidney and split it. Sprinkle lightly pepper and salt on the split side.

Put into a frying pan a little dripping or butter, lay the kidney flat side first in the boiling fat, place the pan on a quick fire and fry lightly, turning twice. As onion requires a lot of cooking it is best to put the prepared onion cases into boiling dripping and cook in a quick oven twenty-five minutes. Then place the kidney (half in each onion) and replace in the oven in the baking tin another ten minutes. Care should be taken not to overcook the kidney so that the gravy runs into the onion as it finishes cooking. Serve very hot in a stone dish.

Kidney Sauté

Take one or two sheep’s kidneys, skin and split them. Lay each half, flat side down, in a frying pan with an ounce of butter or dripping, heated.

Place on a quick fire, add one or two slices of onion cut thin, pepper and salt. Remove from the fire and cut the kidneys up.

Place again on the stove, add a teaspoonful of bovril, a little Worcester sauce (one teaspoonful), mix smoothly a dessertspoonful of flour with water, add half a breakfast-cup of hot water to the kidneys.

Stir and keep boiling twenty minutes, and serve hot, either alone or within a wall of freshly mashed potatoes.

Veal or Beef Olives

It is often found inconvenient to cook a joint in a hurry (or the joint may be found to be too large) when the following recipe will be found useful. Cut a slice of about an inch thick off the round of beef or fillet of veal, cut that into five or six pieces and flatten well with a knife.

Chop finely about half a Spanish onion, a few sweet herbs, and pepper and salt, and put a little of these on each piece of meat and cover with half a rasher of bacon. Tie each piece securely with string.

Melt one ounce of fresh butter in a frying pan over a clear fire and when ready lay the olives in it. Fry briskly for three minutes, turn over once and fry for the same length of time, then cover with another frying pan, inverted, and fry for another ten to fifteen minutes.

Place the meat on a dish and remove the strings gently, cutting with scissors.

Put into the frying pan about half a teacupful of good meat juice, a tablespoonful of white wine, a little salt, thicken with a little flour and pour over the olives. They will keep their shape and should be served with some nicely prepared vegetables, either beans, peas, or potatoes.

Calf’s Kidney on Toast

Skin and split in two a calf’s kidney. Melt in a frying pan about an ounce of fresh butter, and place the kidney in this with one very thin slice of Spanish onion for each half of kidney—one rasher of bacon, chopped very fine, to be put in the pan also. Cook as for sheep’s kidneys, but without the red pepper. Prepare some hot toast, lay upon it the slice of onion, which should be kept whole if possible, and then the kidney.

Dust a little portion of the bacon over it with a little pepper and salt. Turn the butter out of the pan, put a little meat juice from under the dripping (about an egg-cupful) and half a tablespoonful of white wine, the juice of a quarter of a lemon (half a teaspoonful of vinegar will serve if the lemon is not available), thicken with a little flour and water (first mixed smooth), and pour through a gravy strainer over the kidney. Serve very hot. The best way to prepare the toast is as follows:—

Take as many pieces of dry bread as required and fry quickly in a little good dripping to a crisp brown. It should then remain quite crisp even when the gravy is turned over it.

Sweetbreads

Soak for half an hour in cold water with a pinch of salt, then drop them into boiling water. At the end of twenty minutes take out and, after removing the outer skin, cut into slices. Have ready some fresh butter in an enamelled frying pan.

Fry the sliced sweetbreads lightly for a quarter of an hour. Lay on a dish and squeeze a little lemon juice on each slice allowing a quarter of a lemon for the whole of the sweetbread.

Tripe and Onions

Wash in cold water and remove all fat from two pounds of fresh tripe and cut into narrow strips about two inches long. Melt in an enamelled frying pan about two ounces of fresh butter turning the tripe into it.

Fry lightly, not allowing to brown. Dish with a slice into a stone saucepan, leaving the butter in the pan. In the same butter fry lightly one and a half Spanish onions sliced and add to the tripe in the saucepan, with a little salt and a glass of sherry, one piece of loaf sugar, and a finely cut up carrot. Add enough water to cover and stew gently for one and a half hours. Thicken with a little flour mixed smooth with cold water and serve in the stone saucepan with a table napkin tied round it.

Note. Pig’s trotters may be added to this dish but in this case they must be soaked for two hours before cooking and added to the tripe when cooked.

Croquettes

Chop with a mincer very fine any remains of cold chicken or any cold meat with one ring of Spanish onion and a tiny pinch of salt and a drain of meat juice. Stir all this well in a plate, break into the mixture a freshly beaten egg, add a teaspoonful of finely rubbed breadcrumbs or rusk crumbs.

Roll a tablespoonful at a time into another freshly beaten egg and then into the rolled rusk crumbs. Form into short sausage shapes or balls and fry in boiling lard or dripping for seven to ten minutes. Dish with a slice and serve hot, garnished with a little parsley.

Fish croquettes are made in the same way using any fish that may be left over, after carefully removing all the bones, and adding a little cold boiled potato.

Devilled Sheep’s Kidneys on Toast


Remove the skin from say two sheep’s kidneys and cut them in halves. Put into an enamelled frying pan about half ounce of fresh butter and make it hot. Lay the kidneys in the butter the cut side down. Cook over a brisk fire with the stove top off for five minutes. Turn once.

Then replace the stove top and stand the frying pan again on it for five to ten minutes more. Have ready enough buttered toast to take half a kidney on each slice of toast. Dust the kidneys with a little red pepper before placing on the toast.

Put on each kidney a little fresh butter about the size of a pea, place on the toast and serve very hot. Ox kidney may be used in the same way cut into slices.

Devilled Drumsticks

Take four drumsticks of fowls, put half an ounce of fresh butter in an enamelled frying pan, make it hot and lay the drumsticks in it.

Dust over them a little red pepper and about half a flat teaspoonful of some good curry powder. Roll them over and over in the butter and dish with a strainer.

Poached Eggs and Tomato Toast

Scald four tomatoes and remove the skin, slice them into a small enamelled frying pan in which a piece of butter the size of a walnut has been made hot, a little pepper and salt.

Chop them with a knife whilst frying, thus reducing them to a paste. Spread this over the hot buttered toast and put a poached egg on the top.

Eggs with Chicken Livers

Put into a little stone marmite dish (fire-proof) a little butter and half the liver of a good sized fowl. (Two fowls’ livers would make four or five little dishes.) When the liver is nearly cooked (the little dishes having been placed each on the hot top plate of the stove), drop a whole egg without breaking the yolk into each and allow to cook from three to five minutes. Serve in the dishes in which they have been cooked.

Eggs can be also poached in marmite dishes but instead of butter you must half fill each dish with fresh cream and add a pinch of salt and a pinch of chopped parsley at the last moment on top of each egg.

Eggs and Bacon

This dish is perhaps the most appetising breakfast dish and yet often the most unpleasant on account of the smell. Cooked in the following way there should be no smell at all. Take the rashers of bacon and carefully remove all the rind.

Use preferably an enamelled frying pan in which a piece of butter the size of a walnut has been made hot. Lay the bacon in this.

The stove should be hot enough to cook the bacon with the top on. Turn the bacon twice and cook for eight to ten minutes. Dish on a hot flat dish. Allow an egg for each rasher, breaking the eggs lightly without breaking the yolks into a cup one at a time and turn into the pan. Allow the boiling fat to run round the eggs.

Cook for three minutes and dish with a slice placing one egg on each rasher of bacon. The pan when removed from the stove must not be put into the sink as the cold water there will cause it to smell unpleasantly.

Omelettes

Plain. Break four new laid eggs into a basin and beat lightly with a fork. Add a pinch of salt and a dessertspoonful of milk.

Have ready in an enamelled frying pan about half an ounce of hot butter, tilting the pan to cause the butter to run all over it. Place the pan over the fire with the stove top on. Pour the beaten eggs into it. Run the knife round the rim of the omelette.

Cook not more than seven minutes. Sprinkle over a few fine herbs or a little chopped parsley and fold it over twice on a very hot dish.

The omelette when dished should be moist in the centre.

Truffled. Prepare the eggs as above. Chop finely three truffles and beat into the eggs. Cook in the same manner as the plain omelette and serve with the rest of the bottle of truffles cut in thin slices and laid down the centre of the omelette after it is folded.

Savoury. Take the livers of two fowls, one rasher of bacon, a slice of onion and a pinch of mixed herbs. Melt in the frying pan a piece of butter about the size of a walnut. Put the livers, bacon, and herbs into the hot butter. Fry very gently for about seven to ten minutes and when cooked chop very fine. Cook the omelette as above and spread the mixture along the middle while still in the pan. Turn the omelette sides over and serve on a hot dish.

Cheese. Prepare the eggs as above. Rub on a cheese grater a piece of Gruyère cheese to make about four tablespoonfuls. Turn the eggs into the pan. Dust three parts of grated cheese over the omelette whilst still in the pan. Dish with a slice and dust over it the remainder of the cheese; fold and place it in the oven for one minute.

Green Peas. Prepare the eggs as above. Take a teacup of cold cooked green peas and stir them into the basin with the eggs. Pour into the hot butter in the pan as for a plain omelette, fold over with the slice and serve on a hot dish. It will be noticed that sometimes the omelette will rise in a bubble and smoke. Directly this is noticed pass the blade of the knife under from the sides and let the air out, otherwise it will burn.

Cold potatoes cut into discs can be used instead of the peas for the omelette.

Allied Cookery Arranged by Grace Clergue Harrison and Gertrude Clergue [1916]

TEA PANCAKES (Scotch)

Two eggs, 1 lump of butter, ½ teacup sugar, 1 heaping teaspoon carbonate of soda, 1 lb. of flour, salt, 1 heaping teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 pint milk (or milk and water).

Rub together the dry ingredients. Beat up eggs and mix well with the milk, beating both together also. Then dredge in gradually with the hand the dry ingredients, stirring all the time. Heat griddle well, rub over till quite greasy with a piece of bacon fat. Drop the mixture on griddle in spoonfuls from a tablespoon. A minute or two will brown them. Then turn over and cook other side.

KEDGAREE

Put 1 oz. of butter in a stew-pan; when melted, add 4 oz. of boiled rice (cold), stir for a minute, then add 8 or 10 oz. of cooked white fish which should be flaked and free from bones, then add any kind of fish sauce with the cut-up whites of 2 eggs hard boiled, and when quite hot, pile on a hot dish and sprinkle over it the 2 yolks of the eggs which have been passed through a sieve.

This is a good breakfast dish.

KIDNEY AND MUSHROOMS (English)

Take some sheep’s kidneys, skin, halve, and core them, sprinkle each piece with pepper, salt, and sauté them in butter till a good brown; have a large mushroom peeled and cored for each half kidney, fry in the same fat as the kidney; lay the mushrooms in a hot dish, on each put a piece of tomato heated in the oven, then a half kidney, put a little pat of butter on each, and serve with either a pile of mashed potatoes or spinach in centre of dish.

The Healthy Life Cook Book by Florence Daniel [Second Edition, 1915]

CHESTNUT RISSOLES.

1 lb. chestnuts, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, cornflour and water or 1 egg.

Boil the chestnuts for half an hour. Shell, and well mash with a fork. Add the parsley. Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornflour in 1 tablespoon water. Use as much of this as required to moisten the chestnut, and mix it to a stiff paste. Shape into firm, round, rather flat rissoles, roll in white flour, and fry in deep oil or fat to a golden brown colour. Serve with parsley or tomato sauce.

For those who take eggs, the rissoles may be moistened and bound with a beaten egg instead of the cornflour and water. They may also be rolled in egg and bread-crumbs after flouring.

HARICOT RISSOLES.

1/2 pint haricots, 1 oz. butter, 1 medium onion, water, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs, or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

Cook the haricots as in preceding recipe. Mash well with a fork, add the onion finely grated, and the parsley or herbs. (This may be omitted if preferred.) Form into firm, round, rather flat rissoles. Roll in white flour. Fry in deep oil or fat to a golden brown colour. Serve with tomato sauce, brown gravy, or parsley sauce.

LENTIL RISSOLES.

1 teacup red lentils, 2 teacups bread-crumbs, or 1 teacup kornules, cornflour or egg, 1-1/2 teacups water, 4 medium-sized onions, 1 grated lemon rind, 2 teaspoons mixed herbs.

Cook the lentils slowly in a saucepan with the water until they are soft and dry. Steam the onions. If Kornules are used, add as much boiling water to them as they will only just absorb. If bread-crumbs are used, do not moisten them. Add the grated yellow part of the lemon rind and the herbs. Mix all the ingredients well together and slightly moisten with rather less than a tablespoonful of water in which is dissolved a teaspoonful of raw cornflour. This is important, as it takes the place of egg for binding purposes. Shape into round, flat rissoles, roll in white flour, and fry in boiling oil or fat until a golden-brown colour.

A beaten egg may be used for binding in place of the cornflour, and the rissoles may be dipped in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs before frying. Serve hot with brown gravy or tomato sauce. Or cold with salad.

MUSHROOM AND TOMATO.

Many food reformers consider mushrooms to be unwholesome, and indeed, in the ordinary way, they are best left alone. But if they can be obtained quite fresh, and are not the forced, highly-manured kinds, I do not think they are injurious. But the very large variety, commonly called horse mushrooms, should not be eaten.

Peel and stalk the mushrooms. Examine them carefully for maggots. Fry in just enough nutter to prevent them sticking to the pan. Cook until quite tender. Pile on a warm, deep dish. Slice the tomatoes and fry in the same pan, taking care not to add more nutter than is absolutely necessary. When tender, arrange the tomato slices round and on the mushrooms. Pour a tablespoonful or more, according to the amount cooked, of hot water into the pan. Stir well and boil up. Pour the gravy formed over the mushrooms, and serve.

NUT RISSOLES.

Make a stiff mixture as for nut roast, add a tablespoonful savoury herbs if liked. Form into small, flat rissoles, roll them in white flour, and fry in deep fat or oil. Serve hot with gravy, or cold with salad.

RICE AND EGG FRITTERS.

Mix any quantity of cold boiled rice with some chopped parsley and well-beaten egg. Beat the mixture well, form into small fritters, roll in egg and bread-crumbs or white flour, and fry to a golden brown. Serve with egg sauce.

BUTTERED EGGS.

3 eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 oz. fresh butter.

Beat up the eggs and add the milk. Melt the butter in a small stew-pan. When hot, pour in the eggs and stir until they begin to set. Have ready some buttered toast. Pile on eggs and serve.

EGG ON TOMATO.

1 egg, 2 medium tomatoes, butter.

Skin the tomatoes. Break into halves and put them, with a very small piece of butter, into a small stew-pan. Close tightly, and cook slowly until reduced to a pulp. Break the egg into a cup and slide gently on to the tomato. Put on the stew-pan lid. The egg will poach in the steam arising from the tomato.

SCRAMBLED EGG AND TOMATO.

Skin the tomatoes and cook to pulp as in the preceding recipe. Beat the egg and stir it in to the hot tomato. Cook until just beginning to set.

OMELET, PLAIN.

Whisk the egg or eggs lightly to a froth. Put enough butter in the frying-pan to just cover when melted. When this is hot, pour the eggs into it, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until it begins to set. Fold over and serve.

SAVOURY OMELET.

2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon finely-chopped parsley or mixed herbs, 1/2 a very small onion (finely minced), 1 teaspoon fresh butter.

Put butter in the omelet pan. Beat the eggs to a fine froth, stir in the milk and parsley, and pour into the hot pan. Stir quickly to prevent sticking. As soon as it sets, fold over and serve.

SWEET OMELET.

Proceed as in recipe for Savoury Omelet, but substitute a dessertspoon castor sugar for the onion and parsley. When set, put warm jam in the middle. Fold over and serve.

New Vegetarian Dishes by Mrs Bowdich [1892]

Fried Potato with Eggs.

A nice Breakfast Dish.

  • 9 thick slices of cold potato.
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs.
  • 1 ounce butter for frying.
  • 1 gill of good sauce.
  • A little parsley.

Fry the slices of potato until a nice brown, lay them on a hot dish, remove the ends of the hard-boiled eggs, and cut each egg into three slices, placing one on each piece of potato; sprinkle over them the chopped parsley and the sauce, which should be rather thick. Serve quickly.

Note.—Scald the parsley (before chopping) by throwing it into boiling salted water for a few minutes.

Savoury Pancakes.

  • 2 eggs.
  • 2 ounces flour.
  • ½ pint milk.
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind.
  • ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • ¼ teaspoon mixed sweet herbs.
  • 1 shalot, or small onion.
  • A shake of pepper.
  • Butter for frying.

Place the flour, herbs, salt, lemon rind, pepper and shalot very finely minced together in a basin; in another basin have ready the eggs beaten and milk, pour this on to the flour, etc., stirring well with a wooden spoon, and continue stirring until thoroughly mixed and free from lumps. Take a perfectly clean small frying-pan (one should be kept for this purpose), dissolve in it a small piece of butter, enough to grease the pan, pour in just sufficient batter to cover the bottom, shake the pan over a somewhat fierce heat, running a knife round the edges to loosen them. When brown on the under side, toss or turn over the pancake and brown on the other side, fold and lay on a hot dish.

Note.—This quantity of batter should make six pancakes.

MODERN COOKERY FOR PRIVATE FAMILIES (New Edition) by ELIZA ACTON [1882]

OBSERVATIONS ON OMLETS, FRITTERS, &C.

The composition and nature of a soufflé, as we have shown, are altogether different, but there is no difficulty in making good omlets, pancakes, or fritters; and as they may be expeditiously prepared and served, they are often a very convenient resource when, on short notice, an addition is required to a dinner. The eggs for all of them should be well and lightly whisked; the lard for frying batter should be extremely pure in flavour, and quite hot when the fritters are dropped in; the batter itself should be smooth as cream, and it should be briskly beaten the instant before it is used. All fried pastes should be perfectly drained from the fat before they are served, and sent to table promptly when they are ready.

Eggs may be dressed in a multiplicity of ways, but are seldom more relished in any form than in a well-made and expeditiously served omlet. This may be plain, or seasoned with minced herbs and a very little eschalot, when the last is liked, and is then called an “Omlette aux fines herbes;” or it may be mixed with minced ham, or grated cheese; in any case, it should be light, thick, full-tasted, and fried only on one side; if turned in the pan, as it frequently is in England, it will at once be flattened and rendered tough. Should the slight rawness which is sometimes found in the middle of the inside, when the omlet is made in the French way, be objected to, a heated shovel, or a salamander, may be held over it for an instant, before it is folded on the dish.

The pan for frying it should be quite small; for if it be composed of four or five eggs only, and then put into a large one, it will necessarily spread over it and be thin, which would render it more like a pancake than an omlet; the only partial remedy for this, when a pan of proper size cannot be had, is to raise the handle of it high, and to keep the opposite side close down to the fire, which will confine the eggs into a smaller space. No gravy should be poured into the dish with it, and indeed, if properly made, it will require none. Lard is preferable to butter for frying batter, as it renders it lighter; but it must not be used for omlets.

A COMMON OMLET.

Six eggs are sufficient for an omlet of moderate size. Let them be very fresh; break them singly and carefully; clear them in the way we have already pointed out in the introduction to boiled puddings, or when they are sufficiently whisked pour them through a sieve, and resume the beating until they are very light. Add to them from half to a whole teaspoonful of salt, and a seasoning of pepper. Dissolve in a small frying-pan a couple of ounces of butter, pour in the eggs, and as soon as the omlet is well risen and firm throughout, slide it on to a hot dish, fold it together like a turnover, and serve it immediately; from five to seven minutes will fry it.

For other varieties of the omlet, see the observations which precede this.

Eggs, 5; butter, 2 oz.; seasoning of salt and pepper: 5 to 7 minutes.

PLAIN COMMON FRITTERS.

Mix with three well-whisked eggs a quarter of a pint of milk, and strain them through a fine sieve; add them gradually to three large tablespoonsful of flour, and thin the batter with as much more milk as will bring it to the consistence of cream; beat it up thoroughly at the moment of using it, that the fritters may be light. Drop it in small portions from a spouted jug or basin into boiling lard; when lightly coloured on one side, turn the fritters, drain them well from the lard as they are lifted out, and serve them very quickly.

They are eaten generally with fine sugar, and orange or lemon juice: the first of these may be sifted quickly over them after they are dished, and the oranges or lemons halved or quartered, and sent to table with them. The lard used for frying them should be fresh and pure-flavoured: it renders them more crisp and light than butter, and is, therefore, better suited to the purpose. These fritters may be agreeably varied by mingling with the batter just before it is used two or three ounces of well cleaned and well dried currants, or three or four apples of a good boiling kind not very finely minced. Double the quantity of batter will be required for a large dish.

Eggs, 3; flour, 3 tablespoonsful; milk, 1/4 to 1/2 pint.

PANCAKES.

These may be made with the same batter as fritters, if it be sufficiently thinned with an additional egg or two, or a little milk or cream, to spread quickly over the pan: to fry them well, this ought to be small. When the batter is ready, heat the pan over a clear fire and rub it with butter in every part, then pour in sufficient batter to spread over it entirely, and let the pancake be very thin: in this case it will require no turning, but otherwise it must be tossed over with a sudden jerk of the pan, in which the cook who is not somewhat expert will not always succeed; therefore the safer plan is to make them so thin that they will not require this.

Keep them hot before the fire or in the stove-oven until a sufficient number are ready to send to table, then proceed with a second supply, as they should always be quickly served. Either pile them one on the other with sugar strewed between, or spread quickly over them, as they are done, some apricot or other good preserve, and roll them up: in the latter case, they may be neatly divided and dished in a circle.

Clotted cream is sometimes sent to table with them. A richer kind of pancake may be made with a pint of cream, or of cream and new milk mixed, five eggs or their yolks only, a couple of ounces of flour, a little pounded cinnamon or lemon-rind rasped on sugar and scraped into them, with two ounces more of pounded sugar, and two ounces of clarified butter: a few ratifias rolled to powder may be added at pleasure, or three or four macaroons.

From 4 to 5 minutes.

FRITTERS OF CAKE AND PUDDING.

Cut plain pound, or rice cake, or rich seed cake, into small square slices half an inch thick; trim away the crust, fry them slowly a light brown in a small quantity of fresh butter, and spread over them when done a layer of apricot-jam, or of any other preserve, and serve them immediately. These fritters are improved by being moistened with a little good cream before they are fried: they must then be slightly floured.

Cold plum-pudding sliced down as thick as the cake, and divided into portions of equal size and good form, then dipped into French or English batter and gently fried, will also make an agreeable variety of fritter.

Orange marmalade and Devonshire cream may be served in separate layers on the seed cake fritters. The whole of the above may be cut of uniform size and shaped with a round cake-cutter.

MINCEMEAT FRITTERS.

With half a pound of mincemeat mix two ounces of fine bread-crumbs (or a tablespoonful of flour), two eggs well beaten, and the strained juice of half a small lemon. Mix these well, and drop the fritters with a dessertspoon into plenty of very pure lard or fresh butter; fry them from seven to eight minutes, drain them on a napkin or on white blotting paper, and send them very hot to table: they should be quite small.

Mincemeat, 1/2 lb.; bread-crumbs, 2 oz. (or flour, 1 tablespoonful); eggs, 2; juice of 1/2 lemon: 7 to 8 minutes.

VENETIAN FRITTERS. (Very good.)

Wash and drain three ounces of whole rice, put it into a full pint of cold milk, and bring it very slowly to boil; stir it often, and let it simmer gently until it is quite thick and dry. When about three parts done, add to it two ounces of pounded sugar, and one of fresh butter, a grain of salt, and the grated rind of half a small lemon.

Let it cool in the saucepan, and when only just warm, mix with it thoroughly three ounces of currants, four of apples chopped fine, a teaspoonful of flour, and three large or four small well-beaten eggs. Drop the mixture in small fritters, fry them in butter from five to seven minutes, and let them become quite firm on one side before they are turned: do this with a slice. Drain them as they are taken up, and sift white sugar over them after they are dished.

Whole rice, 3 oz.; milk, 1 pint; sugar, 2 oz.; butter, 1 oz.; grated rind of 1/2 lemon; currants, 3 oz.; minced apples, 4 oz.; flour, 1 teaspoonful; a little salt; eggs, 3 large, or 4 small: 5 to 7 minutes.

RHUBARB FRITTERS.

The rhubarb for these should be of a good sort, quickly grown, and tender. Pare, cut it into equal lengths, and throw it into the French batter [see recipe below the apple fritters recipe]; with a fork lift the stalks separately, and put them into a pan of boiling lard or butter: in from five to six minutes they will be done. Drain them well and dish them on a napkin, or pile them high without one, and strew sifted sugar plentifully over them. They should be of a very light brown, and quite dry and crisp. The young stalks look well when left the length of the dish in which they are served, and only slightly encrusted with the batter, through which they should be merely drawn.

5 to 6 minutes.

APPLE, PEACH, APRICOT, OR ORANGE FRITTERS.

Pare and core without dividing the apples, slice them in rounds the full size of the fruit, dip them into the same batter as that directed for the preceding fritters [see batter recipe below], fry them a pale brown, and let them be very dry. Serve them heaped high upon a folded napkin, and strew sifted sugar over them. After having stripped the outer rind from the oranges, remove carefully the white inner skin, and in slicing them take out the pips; then dip them into the batter and proceed as for the apple fritters. The peaches and apricots should be merely skinned, halved, and stoned before they are drawn through the batter, unless they should not be fully ripe, when they must first be stewed tender in a thin syrup.

8 to 12 minutes

FRENCH BATTER. [for recipes above]

(For frying vegetables, and for apple, peach, or orange fritters.)

Cut a couple of ounces of good butter into small bits, pour on it less than a quarter of a pint of boiling water, and when it is dissolved add three quarters of a pint of cold water, so that the whole shall not be quite milk warm; mix it then by degrees and very smoothly with twelve ounces of fine dry flour and a small pinch of salt if the batter be for fruit fritters, but with more if for meat or vegetables. Just before it is used, stir into it the whites of two eggs beaten to a solid froth; but previously to this, add a little water should it appear too thick, as some flour requires more liquid than other to bring it to the proper consistence; this is an exceedingly light crisp batter, excellent for the purposes for which it is named.

Butter, 2 oz.; water, from 3/4 to nearly 1 pint; little salt; flour, 3/4 lb.; whites of 2 eggs, beaten to snow.

POTATO FRITTERS.

(ENTREMETS.)

The same mixture as for potato puddings, [see recipe for potato pudding below]., if dropped in small portions into boiling butter, and fried until brown on both sides, will make potato-fritters. Half the proportion of ingredients will be quite sufficient for a dish of these.

POTATO PUDDING. [supplied for the recipe above]

With a pound and a quarter of fine mealy potatoes, boiled very dry, and mashed perfectly smooth while hot, mix three ounces of butter, five or six of sugar, five eggs, a few grains of salt, and the grated rind of a small lemon. Pour the mixture into a well-buttered dish, and bake it in a moderate oven for nearly three-quarters of an hour. It should be turned out and sent to table with fine sugar sifted over it; or for variety, red currant jelly, or any other preserve, may be spread on it as soon as it is dished.

Potatoes, 1-1/4 lb.; butter, 3 oz.; sugar, 5 or 6 oz.; eggs, 5 or 6; lemon-rind, 1; salt, few grains: 40 to 45 minutes.

Obs.—When cold, this pudding eats like cake, and may be served as such, omitting, of course, the sugar or preserve when it is dished.

LEMON FRITTERS. (ENTREMETS.)

Mix with six ounces of very fine bread-crumbs four of beef suet minced as small as possible, four ounces of pounded sugar, a small tablespoonful of flour, four whole eggs well and lightly whisked, and the grated rind of one large or of two small lemons, with half or the whole of the juice, at choice; but before this last is stirred in, add a spoonful or two of milk or cream if needed. Fry the mixture in small fritters for five or six minutes.

CROQUETTES OF RICE. (ENTREMETS.)

Wipe very clean, in a dry cloth, seven ounces of rice, put it into a clean stewpan, and pour on it a quart of new milk; let it swell gently by the side of the fire, and stir it often that it may not stick to the pan, nor burn; when it is about half done, stir to it five ounces of pounded sugar, and six bitter almonds beaten extremely 386fine: the thin rind of half a fresh lemon may be added in the first instance. The rice must be simmered until it is soft, and very thick and dry; it should then be spread on a dish, and left until cold, when it is to be rolled into small balls, which must be dipped into beaten egg, and then covered in every part with the finest bread-crumbs. When all are ready, fry them a light brown in fresh butter, and dry them well before the fire, upon a sieve reversed and covered with a very soft cloth, or with a sheet of white blotting paper. Pile them in a hot dish, and send them to table quickly.

Rice, 7 oz.; milk, 1 quart; rind of lemon: 3/4 hour. Sugar, 5 oz. bitter almonds, 6: 40 to 60 minutes, or more. Fried, 5 to 7 minutes

RISSOLES. (ENTRÉE.)

This is the French name for small fried pastry of various forms, filled with meat or fish previously cooked; they may be made with brioche, or with light puff-paste, either of which must be rolled extremely thin. Cut it with a small round cutter fluted or plain; put a little rich mince, or good pounded meat, in the centre, and moisten the edges, and press them securely together that they may not burst open in the frying.

The rissoles may be formed like small patties, by laying a second round of paste over the meat, or like cannelons; they may, likewise, be brushed with egg, and sprinkled with vermicelli, broken small, or with fine crumbs. They are sometimes made in the form of croquettes, the paste being gathered round the meat, which must form a ball.

In frying them, adopt the same plan as for the croquettes, raising the pan as soon as the paste is lightly coloured. Serve all these fried dishes well drained, and on a napkin.

From 5 to 7 minutes, or less.

VERY SAVOURY ENGLISH RISSOLES.

[ENTRÉE.)

Make the forcemeat No. 1, [see recipe below], sufficiently firm with unbeaten yolk of egg, to roll rather thin on a well-floured board; cut it into very small rounds, put a little pounded chicken in the centre of one half, moistening the edges with water, or white of egg, lay the remaining rounds over these, close them securely, and fry them in butter a fine light brown; drain and dry them well, and heap them in the middle of a hot dish, upon a napkin folded flat: these rissoles may be egged and crumbed before they are fried.

NO. 1. GOOD COMMON FORCEMEAT, FOR ROAST VEAL, TURKEYS, &C. [supplied for recipe above]

Grate very lightly into exceedingly fine crumbs, four ounces of the inside of a stale loaf, and mix thoroughly with it, a quarter of an ounce of lemon-rind pared as thin as possible, and minced extremely small; the same quantity of savoury herbs, of which two-thirds should be parsley, and one-third thyme, likewise finely minced, a little grated nutmeg, a half teaspoonful of salt, and as much common pepper or cayenne as will season the forcemeat sufficiently. Break into these, two ounces of good butter in very small bits, add the unbeaten yolk of one egg, and with the fingers work the whole well together until it is smoothly mixed. It is usual to chop the lemon-rind, but we prefer it lightly grated on a fine grater. It should always be fresh for the purpose, or it will be likely to impart a very unpleasant flavour to the forcemeat. Half the rind of a moderate-sized lemon will be sufficient for this quantity; which for a large turkey must be increased one-half.

Bread-crumbs, 4 oz.; lemon-rind, 1/4 oz. (or grated rind of 1/2 lemon); mixed savoury herbs, minced, 1/4 oz.; salt, 1/2 teaspoonful; pepper, 1/4 to 1/3 of teaspoonful; butter, 2 oz.; yolk, 1 egg.

Obs.—This, to our taste, is a much nicer and more delicate forcemeat than that which is made with suet, and we would recommend it for trial in preference. Any variety of herb or spice may be used to give it flavour, and a little minced onion or eschalot can be added to it also; but these last do not appear to us suited to the meats for which the forcemeat is more particularly intended. Half an ounce of the butter may be omitted on ordinary occasions: and a portion of marjoram or of sweet basil may take the place of part of the thyme and parsley when preferred to them.

SMALL FRIED BREAD PATTIES, OR CROUSTADES OF VARIOUS KINDS.

These may be either sweet or savoury, and many of them may be so promptly prepared, that they offer a ready resource when an extra dish is unexpectedly required. They should be carefully fried very crisp, and of a fine equal gold colour, either in clarified marrow, for which we give our own receipt, or in really good butter.

DRESDEN PATTIES, OR CROUSTADES.

(Very delicate.)

Pare the crust neatly from one or two French rolls, slice off the ends, and divide the remainder into as many patties as the size of the rolls will allow; hollow them in the centre, dip them into milk or thin cream, and lay them on a drainer over a dish; pour a spoonful or two more of milk over them at intervals, but not sufficient to cause them to break; brush them with egg, rasp the crust of the rolls over them, fry and drain them well, fill them with a good mince, or with stewed mushrooms or oysters, and serve them very hot upon a napkin; they may be filled for the second course with warm apricot marmalade, cherry-jam, or other good preserve.

This receipt came to us direct from Dresden, and on testing it we found it answer excellently, and inserted it in an earlier edition of the present work. We name this simply because it has been appropriated, with many other of our receipts, by a contemporary writer without a word of acknowledgment.

TO PREPARE BEEF MARROW FOR FRYING CROUSTADES, SAVOURY TOASTS, &C.

At a season when butter of pure flavour is often procured with difficulty, beef-marrow, carefully clarified, is a valuable substitute for it; and, as it is abundantly contained in the joints which are in constant request for soup-making, it is of slight comparative cost in a well managed kitchen. It is often thrown into the stock-pot by careless or indolent cooks, instead of being rendered available for the many purposes to which it is admirably adapted.

Take it from the bones as fresh as possible, put it into a white jar, and melt it with a very gentle degree of heat at the mouth of the oven, or by the side of the stove, taking all precaution to prevent its being smoked or discoloured; strain it off, through a very fine sieve or muslin, into a clean pan or pans, and set it aside for use. It will be entirely flavourless if prepared with due care and attention; but, if dissolved with too great a degree of heat, it will acquire the taste almost of dripping. A small quantity of fine salt may be sprinkled into the pan with it when it is used for frying.

SMALL CROUSTADES, OR BREAD PATTIES, DRESSED IN MARROW. (Author’s Receipt.)

Cut very evenly, from a firm stale loaf, slices nearly an inch and a half thick, and with a plain or fluted paste-cutter of between two and three inches wide press out the number of patties required, loosening them gently from the tin, to prevent their breaking; then, with a plain cutter, scarcely more than half the size, mark out the space which is afterwards to be hollowed from it.

Melt some clarified beef-marrow in a small saucepan or frying-pan, and, when it begins to boil, put in the patties, and fry them gently until they are equally coloured of a pale golden brown. In lifting them from the pan, let the marrow (or butter) drain well from them; take out the rounds which have been marked on the tops, and scoop out part of the inside crumb, but leave them thick enough to contain securely the gravy of the preparation put into them. Fill them with any good patty-meat, and serve them very hot on a napkin.

Obs.—These croustades are equally good if dipped into clarified butter or marrow, and baked in a tolerably quick oven. It is well, in either case, to place them on a warm sheet of double white blotting-paper while they are being filled, as it will absorb the superfluous fat. A rich mince, with a thick, well-adhering sauce, either of mutton and mushrooms, or oysters, or with fine herbs and an eschalot or two; or of venison, or hare, or partridges, may be appropriately used for them.

SMALL CROUSTADES À LA BONNE MAMAN. (The Grandmama’s Patties.)

Prepare the croustades as above, or use for them French rolls of very even shape, cut in thick equal slices. If quite round, the crust may be left on; mark each slice with a small cutter in the centre, dip the croustades into butter or marrow, fry them lightly, or bake them without permitting them to become very hard; empty, and then fill them; dish them without a napkin, and pour some good brown gravy round, but not over them.

Obs.—From being cooked without butter, these and the preceding patties are adapted to a Jewish table.

HIGH-CLASS COOKERY MADE EASY. [Economical Cookery] By Mrs. Hart. [1880]

SAVOURY OMELET.

Switch three eggs for five minutes, yolk and white separate; then have a little chopped parsley, a tiny piece of onion which has been previously boiled, pepper and salt, with the eggs. Have an omelet-pan hot with quarter of an ounce of fresh butter; fry lightly on one side, hold before the fire or place in a hot oven for a few minutes. Fold over and serve.

KIDNEY OMELET.

Mince fine two sheep kidneys; place in a stew-pan, with a small piece of butter, pepper and salt, a few chopped parsley leaves, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and a glass of stock. Stew gently for[51] twenty minutes. Prepare the omelet as follows:—Separate the yolk and whites of four eggs, switch the whites to a stiff froth, place the whites and yolks together, pepper and salt. Have the omelet-pan hot, with a little fresh butter; pour in the eggs; cook for three minutes gently, not too fast. Hold the pan before the fire to brown; then lay the stewed kidneys in the centre.

HAM OMELET

Is prepared in the same way as kidney omelet. Any kind of fine minced meat, minced chickens, and ham can be used in the same way for breakfasts.

SMELTS FRIED.

Dry the fish on a napkin, dip them in very thick cream, and immediately afterwards in flour, so that it forms a paste round them. Fry them in very hot lard, dress them on a napkin, and garnish with fried parsley. No sauce is required.

FRIED HADDOCK.

I may here tell you about boiling lard. To know when it is hot enough for frying fish, &c., put a small piece of bread in, and if it browns quickly, the lard is ready. If it is inclined to burn, put in a small piece of potato.

Cut your haddock up the back and take the flesh from the bones; cut each side in two, making in all four pieces. Dip each piece first in flour, then in a little batter made of flour and water, or in a beat-up egg; then in bread-crumbs, and fry in the boiling lard. Fried parsley should be served with it.

Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management [1861]

INFO ON FRYING.

571. THIS VERY FAVOURITE MODE OF COOKING may be accurately described as boiling in fat or oil. Substances dressed in this way are generally well received, for they introduce an agreeable variety, possessing, as they do, a peculiar flavour. By means of frying, cooks can soon satisfy many requisitions made on them, it being a very expeditious mode of preparing dishes for the table, and one which can be employed when the fire is not sufficiently large for the purposes of roasting and boiling. The great point to be borne in mind in frying, is that the liquid must be hot enough to act instantaneously, as all the merit of this culinary operation lies in the invasion of the boiling liquid, which carbonizes or burns, at the very instant of the immersion of the body placed in it. It may be ascertained if the fat is heated to the proper degree, by cutting a piece of bread and dipping it in the frying-pan for five or six seconds; and if it be firm and of a dark brown when taken out, put in immediately what you wish to prepare; if it be not, let the fat be heated until of the right temperature. This having been effected, moderate the fire, so that the action may not be too hurried, and that by a continuous heat the juices of the substance may be preserved, and its flavour enhanced.

572. THE PHILOSOPHY OF FRYING consists in this, that liquids subjected to the action of fire do not all receive the same quantity of heat. Being differently constituted in their nature, they possess different “capacities for caloric.” Thus, you may, with impunity, dip your finger in boiling spirits of wine; you would take it very quickly from boiling brandy, yet more rapidly from water; whilst the effects of the most rapid immersion in boiling oil need not be told. As a consequence of this, heated fluids act differently on the sapid bodies presented to them. Those put in water, dissolve, and are reduced to a soft mass; the result being bouillon, stock, &c). Those substances, on the contrary, treated with oil, harden, assume a more or less deep colour, and are finally carbonized. The reason of these different results is, that, in the first instance, water dissolves and extracts the interior juices of the alimentary substances placed in it; whilst, in the second, the juices are preserved; for they are insoluble in oil.

573. IT IS TO BE ESPECIALLY REMEMBERED, in connection with frying, that all dishes fried in fat should be placed before the fire on a piece of blotting-paper, or sieve reversed, and there left for a few minutes, so that any superfluous greasy moisture may be removed.

574. THE UTENSILS USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF FRYING are confined to frying-pans, although these are of various sizes; and, for small and delicate dishes, such as collops, fritters, pancakes, &c., the sauté pan, of which we give an engraving, is used.

FRIED RUMP-STEAK.

626. INGREDIENTS.—Steaks, butter or clarified dripping.

Mode. Although broiling is a far superior method of cooking steaks to frying them, yet, when the cook is not very expert, the latter mode may be adopted; and, when properly done, the dish may really look very inviting, and the flavour be good. The steaks should be cut rather thinner than for broiling, and with a small quantity of fat to each. Put some butter or clarified dripping into a frying-pan; let it get quite hot, then lay in the steaks. Turn them frequently until done, which will be in about 8 minutes, or rather more, should the steaks be very thick. Serve on a very hot dish, in which put a small piece of butter and a tablespoonful of ketchup, and season with pepper and salt. They should be sent to table quickly, as, when cold, the steaks are entirely spoiled.

Time.—8 minutes for a medium-sized steak, rather longer for a very thick one.

Average cost, 1s. per lb.

Seasonable all the year, but not good in summer, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.

Note.—Where much gravy is liked, make it in the following manner:—As soon as the steaks are done, dish them, pour a little boiling water into the frying-pan, add a seasoning of pepper and salt, a small piece of butter, and a tablespoonful of Harvey’s sauce or mushroom ketchup. Hold the pan over the fire for a minute or two, just let the gravy simmer, then pour on the steak, and serve.

BEEF FRITTERS (Cold Meat Cookery).

627. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast beef, pepper and salt to taste, 3/4 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of water, 2 oz. of butter, the whites of 2 eggs.

Mode.—Mix very smoothly, and by degrees, the flour with the above proportion of water; stir in 2 oz. of butter, which must be melted, but not oiled, and, just before it is to be used, add the whites of two well-whisked eggs. Should the batter be too thick, more water must be added. Pare down the cold beef into thin shreds, season with pepper and salt, and mix it with the batter. Drop a small quantity at a time into a pan of boiling lard, and fry from 7 to 10 minutes, according to the size. When done on one side, turn and brown them on the other. Let them dry for a minute or two before the fire, and serve on a folded napkin. A small quantity of finely-minced onions, mixed with the batter, is an improvement.

Time.—From 7 to 10 minutes.

Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 6d. Seasonable at any time.

FRIED SALT BEEF (Cold Meat Cookery).

625. INGREDIENTS.—A few slices of cold salt beef, pepper to taste, 1/4 lb. of butter, mashed potatoes.

Mode.—Cut any part of cold salt beef into thin slices, fry them gently in butter, and season with a little pepper. Have ready some very hot mashed potatoes, lay the slices of beef on them, and garnish with 3 or 4 pickled gherkins. Cold salt beef, warmed in a little liquor from mixed pickle, drained, and served as above, will be found good.

Time.—About 5 minutes. Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

Seasonable at any time.

MINCED COLLOPS

(an Entree).

619. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of rump-steak, salt and pepper to taste, 2 oz. of butter, 1 onion minced, 1/4 pint of water, 1 tablespoonful of Harvey’s sauce, or lemon-juice, or mushroom ketchup; 1 small bunch of savoury herbs.

Mode.—Mince the beef and onion very small, and fry the latter in butter until of a pale brown. Put all the ingredients together in a stewpan, and boil gently for about 10 minutes; garnish with sippets of toasted bread, and serve very hot.

Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, 1s. per lb.

Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

BUBBLE-AND-SQUEAK

(Cold Meat Cookery).

616. INGREDIENTS.—A few thin slices of cold boiled beef; butter, cabbage, 1 sliced onion, pepper and salt to taste.

Mode.—Fry the slices of beef gently in a little butter, taking care not to dry them up. Lay them on a flat dish, and cover with fried greens. The greens may be prepared from cabbage sprouts or green savoys. They should be boiled till tender, well drained, minced, and placed, till quite hot, in a frying-pan, with butter, a sliced onion, and seasoning of pepper and salt. When the onion is done, it is ready to serve.

Time.—Altogether, 1/2 hour.

Average cost, exclusive of the cold beef, 3d.

Seasonable at any time.

BEEF-STEAKS WITH FRIED POTATOES, or BIFTEK AUX POMMES-DE-TERRE (a la mode Francaise).

606. INGREDIENTS.—2 lbs. of steak, 8 potatoes, 1/4 lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of minced herbs.

Mode.—Put the butter into a frying or sauté pan, set it over the fire, and let it get very hot; peel, and cut the potatoes into long thin slices; put them into the hot butter, and fry them till of a nice brown colour. Now broil the steaks over a bright clear fire, turning them frequently, that every part may be equally done: as they should not be thick, 5 minutes will broil them. Put the herbs and seasoning in the butter the potatoes were fried in, pour it under the steak, and place the fried potatoes round, as a garnish. To have this dish in perfection, a portion of the fillet of the sirloin should be used, as the meat is generally so much more tender than that of the rump, and the steaks should be cut about 1/3 of an inch in thickness.

Time.—5 minutes to broil the steaks, and about the same time to fry the potatoes. Average cost, 1s. per lb.

Sufficient for 4 persons.

Seasonable all the year; but not so good in warm weather, as the meat cannot hang to get tender.

FRIED FLOUNDERS.

260. INGREDIENTS.—Flounders, egg, and bread crumbs; boiling lard.

Mode.—Cleanse the fish, and, two hours before they are wanted, rub them inside and out with salt, to render them firm; wash and wipe them very dry, dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs; fry them in boiling lard, dish on a hot napkin, and garnish with crisped parsley.

Time.—From 5 to 10 minutes, according to size.

Average cost, 3d. each.

Seasonable from August to November.

Sufficient, 1 for each person.

GUDGEONS.

261. INGREDIENTS.—Egg and bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of fish; hot lard.

Mode.—Do not scrape off the scales, but take out the gills and inside, and cleanse thoroughly; wipe them dry, flour and dip them into egg, and sprinkle over with bread crumbs. Fry of a nice brown.

Time.—3 or 4 minutes.

Average cost. Seldom bought.

Seasonable from March to July.

Sufficient, 3 for each person.

THE GUDGEON.—This is a fresh-water fish, belonging to the carp genus, and is found in placid streams and lakes. It was highly esteemed by the Greeks, and was, at the beginning of supper, served fried at Rome. It abounds both in France and Germany; and is both excellent and numerous in some of the rivers of England. Its flesh is firm, well-flavoured, and easily digested.

FISH CAKE.

258. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of any cold fish, 1 onion, 1 faggot of sweet herbs; salt and pepper to taste, 1 pint of water, equal quantities of bread crumbs and cold potatoes, 1/2 teaspoonful of parsley, 1 egg, bread crumbs.

Mode.—Pick the meat from the bones of the fish, which latter put, with the head and fins, into a stewpan with the water; add pepper and salt, the onion and herbs, and stew slowly for gravy about 2 hours; chop the fish fine, and mix it well with bread crumbs and cold potatoes, adding the parsley and seasoning; make the whole into a cake with the white of an egg, brush it over with egg, cover with bread crumbs, and fry of a light brown; strain the gravy, pour it over, and stew gently for 1/4 hour, stirring it carefully once or twice. Serve hot, and garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.

Time—1/2 hour, after the gravy is made.

FRIED EELS.

252. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of eels, 1 egg, a few bread crumbs, hot lard.

Mode.—Wash the eels, cut them into pieces 3 inches long, trim and wipe them very dry; dredge with flour, rub them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs; fry of a nice brown in hot lard. If the eels are small, curl them round, instead of cutting them up. Garnish with fried parsley.

Time.—20 minutes, or rather less. Average cost, 6d. per lb.

Seasonable from June to March.

Note.—Garfish may be dressed like eels, and either broiled or baked.

THE PRODUCTIVENESS OF THE EEL.—”Having occasion,” says Dr. Anderson, in the Bee, “to be once on a visit to a friend’s house on Dee-side, in Aberdeenshire, I frequently delighted to walk by the banks of the river. I, one day, observed something like a black string moving along the edge of the water where it was quite shallow. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that this was a shoal of young eels, so closely joined together as to appear, on a superficial view, on continued body, moving briskly up against the stream. To avoid the retardment they experienced from the force of the current, they kept close along the water’s edge the whole of the way, following all the bendings and sinuosities of the river. Where they were embayed, and in still water, the shoal dilated in breadth, so as to be sometimes nearly a foot broad; but when they turned a cape, where the current was strong, they were forced to occupy less space and press close to the shore, struggling very hard till they passed it. This shoal continued to move on, night and day without interruption for several weeks. Their progress might be at the rate of about a mile an hour. It was easy to catch the animals, though they were very active and nimble. They were eels perfectly well formed in every respect, but not exceeding two inches in length. I conceive that the shoal did not contain, on an average, less than from twelve to twenty in breadth; so that the number that passed, on the whole, must have been very great. Whence they came or whither they went, I know not; but the place where I saw this, was six miles from the sea.”

FRIED ANCHOVIES.

226. INGREDIENTS.—1 tablespoonful of oil, 1/2 a glass of white wine, sufficient flour to thicken; 12 anchovies.

Mode.—Mix the oil and wine together, with sufficient flour to make them into a thickish paste; cleanse the anchovies, wipe them, dip them in the paste, and fry of a nice brown colour.

Time.—1/2 hour. Average cost for this quantity, 9d.

Seasonable all the year.

Sufficient for 2 persons.

SMALL SKATE FRIED.

317. INGREDIENTS.—Skate, sufficient vinegar to cover them, salt and pepper to taste, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, the juice of 1/2 lemon, hot dripping.

Mode.—Cleanse the skate, lay them in a dish, with sufficient vinegar to cover them; add the salt, pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon-juice, and let the fish remain in this pickle for 1-1/2 hour. Then drain them well, flour them, and fry of a nice brown, in hot dripping. They may be served either with or without sauce. Skate is not good if dressed too fresh, unless it is crimped; it should, therefore, be kept for a day, but not long enough to produce a disagreeable smell.

Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, 4d. per lb.

Seasonable from August to April.

OTHER SPECIES OF SKATE.—Besides the true skate, there are several other species found in our seas. These are known as the white skate, the long-nosed skate, and the Homelyn ray, which are of inferior quality, though often crimped, and sold for true skate.

TO FRY SMELTS.

319. INGREDIENTS.—Egg and bread crumbs, a little flour; boiling lard.

Mode.—Smelts should be very fresh, and not washed more than is necessary to clean them. Dry them in a cloth, lightly flour, dip them in egg, and sprinkle over with very fine bread crumbs, and put them into boiling lard. Fry of a nice pale brown, and be careful not to take off the light roughness of the crumbs, or their beauty will be spoiled. Dry them before the fire on a drainer, and servo with plain melted butter. This fish is often used as a garnishing.

Time.—5 minutes.

Average cost, 2s. per dozen.

Seasonable from October to May.

THE SMELT.—This is a delicate little fish, and is in high esteem. Mr. Yarrell asserts that the true smelt is entirety confined to the western and eastern coasts of Britain. It very rarely ventures far from the shore, and is plentiful in November, December, and January.

FRIED SOLES.

327. INGREDIENTS.—2 middling-sized soles, hot lard or clarified dripping, egg, and bread crumbs.

Mode.—Skin and carefully wash the soles, and cut off the fins, wipe them very dry, and let them remain in the cloth until it is time to dress them. Have ready some fine bread crumbs and beaten egg; dredge the soles with a little flour, brush them over with egg, and cover with bread crumbs. Put them in a deep pan, with plenty of clarified dripping or lard (when the expense is not objected to, oil is still better) heated, so that it may neither scorch the fish nor make them sodden. When they are sufficiently cooked on one side, turn them carefully, and brown them on the other: they may be considered ready when a thick smoke rises. Lift them out carefully, and lay them before the fire on a reversed sieve and soft paper, to absorb the fat. Particular attention should be paid to this, as nothing is more disagreeable than greasy fish: this may be always avoided by dressing them in good time, and allowing a few minutes for them to get thoroughly crisp, and free from greasy moisture. Dish them on a hot napkin, garnish with cut lemon and fried parsley, and send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted butter.

Time.—10 minutes for large soles; less time for small ones.

Average cost, from 1s. to 2s. per pair.

Seasonable at any time.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

SPRATS FRIED IN BATTER.

330. INGREDIENTS.—2 eggs, flour, bread crumbs; seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.

Mode.—Wipe the sprats, and dip them in a batter made of the above ingredients. Fry of a nice brown, serve very hot, and garnish with fried parsley.

FRIED WHITING.

345. INGREDIENTS.—Egg and bread crumbs, a little flour, hot lard or clarified dripping.

Mode.—Take off the skin, clean, and thoroughly wipe the fish free from all moisture, as this is most essential, in order that the egg and bread crumbs may properly adhere. Fasten the tail in the mouth by means of a small skewer, brush the fish over with egg, dredge with a little flour, and cover with bread crumbs. Fry them in hot lard or clarified dripping of a nice colour, and serve them on a napkin, garnished with fried parsley. (See Coloured Plate D.) Send them to table with shrimp sauce and plain melted butter.

Time.—About 6 minutes. Average cost, 4d. each.

Seasonable all the year, but best from October to March.

Sufficient, 1 small whiting for each person.

Note.—Large whitings may be filleted, rolled, and served as fried filleted soles. Small fried whitings are frequently used for garnishing large boiled fish, such as turbot, cod, etc.

FRIED BREAD CRUMBS.

424. Cut the bread into thin slices, place them in a cool oven overnight, and when thoroughly dry and crisp, roll them down into fine crumbs. Put some lard, or clarified dripping, into a frying-pan; bring it to the boiling-point, throw in the crumbs, and fry them very quickly. Directly they are done, lift them out with a slice, and drain them before the fire from all greasy moisture. When quite crisp, they are ready for use. The fat they are fried in should be clear, and the crumbs should not have the slightest appearance or taste of having been, in the least degree, burnt.

FRIED SIPPETS OF BREAD (for Garnishing many Dishes).

425. Cut the bread into thin slices, and stamp them out in whatever shape you like,—rings, crosses, diamonds, &c. &c. Fry them in the same manner as the bread crumbs, in clear boiling lard, or clarified dripping, and drain them until thoroughly crisp before the fire. When variety is desired, fry some of a pale colour, and others of a darker hue.

FRIED BREAD FOR BORDERS.

426. Proceed as above, by frying some slices of bread cut in any fanciful shape. When quite crisp, dip one side of the sippet into the beaten white of an egg mixed with a little flour, and place it on the edge of the dish. Continue in this manner till the border is completed, arranging the sippets a pale and a dark one alternately.

FRIED KIDNEYS.

725. INGREDIENTS.—Kidneys, butter, pepper and salt to taste.

Mode.—Cut the kidneys open without quite dividing them, remove the skin, and put a small piece of butter in the frying-pan. When the butter is melted, lay in the kidneys the flat side downwards, and fry them for 7 or 8 minutes, turning them when they are half-done. Serve on a piece of dry toast, season with pepper and salt, and put a small piece of butter in each kidney; pour the gravy from the pan over them, and serve very hot.

Time.—7 or 8 minutes.

Average cost, 1-1/2d. each.

Sufficient.—Allow 1 kidney to each person.

Seasonable at any time.

LAMB’S FRY.

748. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of lamb’s fry, 3 pints of water, egg and bread crumbs, 1 teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Mode.—Boil the fry for 1/4 hour in the above proportion of water, take it out and dry it in a cloth; grate some bread down finely, mix with it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and a high seasoning of pepper and salt. Brush the fry lightly over with the yolk of an egg, sprinkle over the bread crumbs, and fry for 5 minutes. Serve very hot on a napkin in a dish, and garnish with plenty of crisped parsley.

Time.-1 hour to simmer the fry, 5 minutes to fry it.

Average cost, 10d. per lb.

Sufficient for 2 or 3 persons.

Seasonable from Easter to Michaelmas.

PORK CUTLETS

(Cold Meat Cookery).

796. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast loin of pork, 1 oz. of butter, 2 onions, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of gravy, pepper and salt to taste, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar and mustard.

Mode.—Cut the pork into nice-sized cutlets, trim off most of the fat, and chop the onions. Put the butter into a stewpan, lay in the cutlets and chopped onions, and fry a light brown; then add the remaining ingredients, simmer gently for 5 or 7 minutes, and serve.

Time.—5 to 7 minutes. Average cost, exclusive of the meat, 4d.

Seasonable from October to March.

FRIED RASHERS OF BACON AND POACHED EGGS.

802. INGREDIENTS.—Bacon; eggs.

Mode.—Cut the bacon into thin slices, trim away the rusty parts, and cut off the rind. Put it into a cold frying-pan, that is to say, do not place the pan on the fire before the bacon is in it. Turn it 2 or 3 times, and dish it on a very hot dish. Poach the eggs and slip them on to the bacon, without breaking the yolks, and serve quickly.

Time.—3 or 4 minutes. Average cost, 10d. to 1s. per lb. for the primest parts.

Sufficient.—Allow 6 eggs for 3 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

Note.—Fried rashers of bacon, curled, serve as a pretty garnish to many dishes; and, for small families, answer very well as a substitute for boiled bacon, to serve with a small dish of poultry, &c.

FRIED HAM AND EGGS (a Breakfast Dish).

813. INGREDIENTS.—Ham; eggs.

Mode.—Cut the ham into slices, and take care that they are of the same thickness in every part. Cut off the rind, and if the ham should be particularly hard and salt, it will be found an improvement to soak it for about 10 minutes in hot water, and then dry it in a cloth. Put it into a cold frying-pan, set it over the fire, and turn the slices 3 or 4 times whilst they are cooking. When done, place them on a dish, which should be kept hot in front of the fire during the time the eggs are being poached. Poach the eggs, slip them on to the slices of ham, and serve quickly.

Time.—7 or 8 minutes to broil the ham.

Average cost, from 8d. to 10d. per lb. by the whole ham.

Seasonable at any time.

Note.—Ham may also be toasted or broiled; but, with the latter method, to insure its being well cooked, the fire must be beautifully clear, or it will have a smoky flavour far from agreeable.

FRIED SAUSAGES.

838. INGREDIENTS.—Sausages; a small piece of butter.
Mode.—Prick the sausages with a fork (this prevents them from bursting), and put them into a frying-pan with a small piece of butter. Keep moving the pan about, and turn the sausages 3 or 4 times. In from 10 to 12 minutes they will be sufficiently cooked, unless they are very large, when a little more time should be allowed for them. Dish them with or without a piece of toast under them, and serve very hot. In some counties, sausages are boiled and served on toast. They should be plunged into boiling water, and simmered for about 10 or 12 minutes.
Time.—10 to 12 minutes.
Average cost, 10d. per lb.
Seasonable.—Good from September to March.
Note.—Sometimes, in close warm weather, sausages very soon turn sour; to prevent this, put them in the oven for a few minutes with a small piece of butter to keep them moist. When wanted for table, they will not require so long frying as uncooked sausages.

VEAL CUTLETS

(an Entree).

866. INGREDIENTS.—About 3 lbs. of the prime part of the leg of veal, egg and bread crumbs, 3 tablespoonfuls of minced savoury herbs, salt and popper to taste, a small piece of butter.

Mode.—Have the veal cut into slices about 3/4 of an inch in thickness, and, if not cut perfectly even, level the meat with a cutlet-bat or rolling-pin. Shape and trim the cutlets, and brush them over with egg. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, with which have been mixed minced herbs and a seasoning of pepper and salt, and press the crumbs down. Fry them of a delicate brown in fresh lard or butter, and be careful not to burn them. They should be very thoroughly done, but not dry. If the cutlets be thick, keep the pan covered for a few minutes at a good distance from the fire, after they have acquired a good colour: by this means, the meat will be done through. Lay the cutlets in a dish, keep them hot, and make a gravy in the pan as follows: Dredge in a little flour, add a piece of butter the size of a walnut, brown it, then pour as much boiling water as is required over it, season with pepper and salt, add a little lemon-juice, give one boil, and pour it over the cutlets. They should be garnished with slices of broiled bacon, and a few forcemeat balls will be found a very excellent addition to this dish.

Time.—For cutlets of a moderate thickness, about 12 minutes; if very thick, allow more time.

Average cost, 10d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 persons.

Seasonable from March to October.

Note.—Veal cutlets may be merely floured and fried of a nice brown; the gravy and garnishing should be the same as in the preceding recipe. They may also be cut from the loin or neck, as shown in the engraving.

FRIED SWEETBREADS a la Maitre d’Hotel

(an Entree).

907. INGREDIENTS.—3 sweetbreads, egg and bread crumbs, 1/4 lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, rather more than 1/2 pint of Maître d’hôtel sauce No. 466.

Mode.—Soak the sweetbreads in warm water for an hour; then boil them for 10 minutes; cut them in slices, egg and bread crumb them, season with pepper and salt, and put them into a frying-pan, with the above proportion of butter. Keep turning them until done, which will be in about 10 minutes; dish them, and pour over them a Maître d’hôtel sauce, made by recipe No. 466. The dish may be garnished with slices of cut lemon.

Time.—To soak 1 hour, to be broiled 10 minutes, to be fried about 10 minutes.

Average cost, 1s. to 5s., according to the season.

Sufficient for an entrée.

Seasonable.—In full season from May to August.

Note.—The egg and bread crumb may be omitted, and the slices of sweetbread dredged with a little flour instead, and a good gravy may be substituted for the maitre d’hôtel sauce. This is a very simple method of dressing them.

HASHED DUCK (Cold Meat Cookery).

932. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast duck, rather more than 1 pint of weak stock or water, 1 onion, 1 oz. of butter, thickening of butter and flour, salt and cayenne to taste, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon-juice, 1/2 glass of port wine.

Mode.—Cut the duck into nice joints, and put the trimmings into a stewpan; slice and fry the onion in a little butter; add these to the trimmings, pour in the above proportion of weak stock or water, and stew gently for 1 hour. Strain the liquor, thicken it with butter and flour, season with salt and cayenne, and add the remaining ingredients; boil it up and skim well; lay in the pieces of duck, and let them get thoroughly hot through by the side of the fire, but do not allow them to boil: they should soak in the gravy for about 1/2 hour. Garnish with sippets of toasted bread. The hash may be made richer by using a stronger and more highly-flavoured gravy; a little spice or pounded mace may also be added, when their flavour is liked.

Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, exclusive of the cold duck, 4d.

Seasonable from November to February; ducklings from May to August.

FRIED FOWLS [chicken]

(Cold Meat Cookery).

I.

947. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast fowls, vinegar, salt and cayenne to taste, 3 or 4 minced shalots. For the batter,—1/2 lb. of flour, 1/2 pint of hot water, 2 oz. of butter, the whites of 2 eggs.

Mode.—Cut the fowl into nice joints; steep them for an hour in a little vinegar, with salt, cayenne, and minced shalots. Make the batter by mixing the flour and water smoothly together; melt in it the butter, and add the whites of egg beaten to a froth; take out the pieces of fowl, dip them in the batter, and fry, in boiling lard, a nice brown. Pile them high in the dish, and garnish with fried parsley or rolled bacon. When approved, a sauce or gravy may be served with them.

Time.—10 minutes to fry the fowl.

Average cost, exclusive of the cold fowl, 8d.

Seasonable at any time.

II.

948. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of cold roast fowl, vinegar, salt and cayenne to taste, 4 minced shalots, yolk of egg; to every teacupful of bread crumbs allow 1 blade of pounded mace, 5 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 saltspoonful of salt, a few grains of cayenne.

Mode.—Steep the pieces of fowl as in the preceding recipe, then dip them into the yolk of an egg or clarified butter; sprinkle over bread crumbs with which have been mixed salt, mace, cayenne, and lemon-peel in the above proportion. Fry a light brown, and serve with or without gravy, as may be preferred.

Time.—10 minutes to fry the fowl.

Average cost, exclusive of the cold fowl, 6d.

Seasonable at any time.

FRIED RABBIT.

979. INGREDIENTS.—1 rabbit, flour, dripping, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of minced shalot, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup.

Mode.—Cut the rabbit into neat joints, and flour them well; make the dripping boiling in a fryingpan, put in the rabbit, and fry it a nice brown. Have ready a very hot dish, put in the butter, shalot, and ketchup; arrange the rabbit pyramidically on this, and serve as quickly as possible.

Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable from September to February.

Note.—The rabbit may be brushed over with egg, and sprinkled with bread crumbs, and fried as above. When cooked in this manner, make a gravy in the pan, and pour it round, but not over, the pieces of rabbit.

FRIED ARTICHOKES.

(Entremets, or Small Dish, to be served with the Second Course.)

1081. INGREDIENTS.—5 or 6 artichokes, salt and water: for the batter,—1/4 lb. of flour, a little salt, the yolk of 1 egg, milk.

Mode.—Trim and boil the artichokes, rub them over with lemon-juice, to keep them white. When they are quite tender, take them up, remove the chokes, and divide the bottoms; dip each piece into batter, fry them in hot lard or dripping, and garnish the dish with crisped parsley. Serve with plain melted butter.

Time.—20 minutes to boil the artichokes, 5 to 7 minutes to fry them.

Sufficient,—5 or 6 for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable from July to the beginning of September.

FRIED CUCUMBERS.

1113. INGREDIENTS.—2 or 3 cucumbers, pepper and salt to taste, flour, oil or butter.

Mode.—Pare the cucumbers and cut them into slices of an equal thickness, commencing to slice from the thick, and not the stalk end of the cucumber. Wipe the slices dry with a cloth, dredge them with flour, and put them into a pan of boiling oil or butter; Keep turning them about until brown; lift them out of the pan, let them drain, and serve, piled lightly in a dish. These will be found a great improvement to rump-steak: they should be placed on a dish with the steak on the top.

Time.—5 minutes. Average cost, when cheapest, 4d. each.

Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

Seasonable.—Forced from the beginning of March to the end of June; in full season in July and August.

FRIED POTATOES (French Fashion).

1142. INGREDIENTS.—Potatoes, hot butter or clarified dripping, salt.

Mode.—Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices, as nearly the same size as possible; make some butter or dripping quite hot in a frying-pan; put in the potatoes, and fry them on both sides of a nice brown. When they are crisp and done, take them up, place them on a cloth before the fire to drain the grease from them, and serve very hot, after sprinkling them with salt. These are delicious with rump-steak, and, in France, are frequently served thus as a breakfast dish. The remains of cold potatoes may also be sliced and fried by the above recipe, but the slices must be cut a little thicker.

Time.—Sliced raw potatoes, 5 minutes; cooked potatoes, 5 minutes.

Average cost, 4s. per bushel.

Sufficient,—6 sliced potatoes for 3 persons.

Seasonable at any time.

FRIED VEGETABLE MARROW.

1171. INGREDIENTS.—3 medium-sized vegetable marrows, egg and bread crumbs, hot lard.

Mode.—Peel, and boil the marrows until tender in salt and water; then drain them and cut them in quarters, and take out the seeds. When thoroughly drained, brush the marrows over with egg, and sprinkle with bread crumbs; have ready some hot lard, fry the marrow in this, and, when of a nice brown, dish; sprinkle over a little salt and pepper, and serve.

Time.—About 1/2 hour to boil the marrow, 7 minutes to fry it.

Average cost, in full season, 1s. per dozen.

Sufficient for 4 persons.

Seasonable in July, August, and September.

Victorian Recipes from A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes BY CHARLES ELMÉ FRANCATELLI, [1852]

How to Fry Potatoes.

Peel, split, and cut the potatoes into slices of equal thickness, say the thickness of two penny pieces; and as they are cut out of hand, let them be dropped into a pan of cold water. When about to fry the potatoes, first drain them on a clean cloth, and dab them all over, in order to absorb all moisture; while this has been going on, you will have made some kind of fat (entirely free from water or gravy, such as lard, for instance) very hot in a frying-pan, and into this drop your prepared potatoes, only a good handful at a time; as, if you attempt to fry too many at once, instead of being crisp, as they should be, the potatoes will fry flabby, and consequently will be unappetising. As soon as the first lot is fried in a satisfactory manner, drain them from the fat with a skimmer, or spoon, and then fry the remainder; and when all are fried, shake a little salt over them.

How to Fry Potatoes an easier Way.

When it happens that you have some cold boiled potatoes, this is the way to fry them:—First cut the potatoes in thick slices, and fry them in a frying-pan with butter or dripping, just enough to season them, and as they fry, lift or scrape them from the bottom of the pan with an iron spoon, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom and burning, which, by imparting a bitter taste, would spoil them; when all are fried of a very light brown colour, season with pepper and salt.

To Fry Fish.

For this purpose you must have some kind of fat. Either lard, butter, or dripping fat, would be excellent; but they must be bought, and cost a little money. True; but then, if you can afford yourselves a bit of meat occasionally, by dint of good thrift you should save the fat from the boiled meat, or the dripping from your baked meats, and thus furnish yourselves with fat for frying your fish twice a-week; and let me tell you that by introducing fish as an occasional part of your daily food, your health, as well as your pockets, would feel the benefit of such a system of economy.

Suppose, then, that you have bought some cheap kind of fish, such as herrings, large flounders, plaice, small soles, or any other small or flat fish. First of all, let the fish be washed and wiped dry, and rubbed all over with a little flour. Next, put about two ounces of fat, free from water, in a frying-pan on the fire, and, as soon as it is hot, put the fish in to fry, one or two at a time, according to their size, as, unless they have room enough in the frying-pan they do not fry well; this must be carefully attended to, and when the fish is a little browned on one side, turn it over with a tin fish-slice, that it may be fried on the other side also; and, as soon as done, place the fried fish on a dish and then fry the others.

When all your fish are fried, with what fat remains in the pan fry some onions, and place them round the fish, and, by way of adding an extra relish to your meal, just throw a few table-spoonfuls of vinegar, some pepper and salt, into the frying-pan, give it a boil up, and pour this round the fish.

Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday.

Ingredients, twelve ounces of flour, three eggs, one pint of milk, a tea-spoonful of salt, a little grated nutmeg, and chopped lemon-peel. First, put the flour into a basin, hollow out the centre, add the salt, nutmeg, lemon-peel, and a drop of milk, to dissolve them; then break in the eggs, work all together, with a spoon, into a smooth soft paste, add the remainder of the milk, and work the whole vigorously until it forms a smooth liquid batter.

Next, set a frying-pan on the fire, and, as soon as it gets hot, wipe it out clean with a cloth, then run about a tea-spoonful of lard all over the bottom of the hot frying-pan, pour in half a small tea-cupful of the batter, place the pan over the fire, and, in about a minute or so, the pancake will have become set sufficiently firm to enable you to turn it over in the frying-pan, in order that it may be baked on the other side also; the pancake done on both sides, turn it out on its dish, and sprinkle a little sugar over it: proceed to use up the remaining batter in the same manner.

Bubble and Squeak.

When you happen to have some cold boiled salt beef, cut this up in slices; fry it on both sides, and dish it up round some cabbages or any dressed vegetables ready to hand, which must be chopped up, seasoned with pepper and salt, and fried.

Pig’s Fry.

A pig’s fry consists of the heart, liver, lights, and some of the chitterlings; these are to be first cut up in slices, then seasoned with pepper and salt, rolled in a little flour, and fried with some kind of grease in the frying-pan. As the pieces are fried, place them on their dish to keep hot before the fire, and when all is done, throw some chopped onions and sage leaves into the pan, to be fried of a light colour; add a very little flour, pepper, and salt, a gill of water, and a few drops of vinegar; boil up this gravy, and pour it over the pig’s fry.

Fried Steaks and Onions.

Season the steaks with pepper and salt, and when done brown on both sides, without being overdone, place them in a dish before the fire while you fry some sliced onions in the fat which remains in the pan; as soon as the onions are done, and laid upon the steaks, shake a spoonful of flour in the pan, add a gill of water and a few drops of vinegar; give this gravy a boil up on the fire, and pour it over the steaks, etc.

Veal Cutlets and Bacon.

You may sometimes have a chance to purchase a few trimmings or cuttings of veal, or a small piece from the chump end of the loin, which you can cut up in thin slices, and after seasoning them with pepper and salt, and rolling them in flour, they are to be fried in the fat that remains from some slices of bacon which you shall have previously fried; and, after placing the fried veal and bacon in its dish, shake a table-spoonful of flour in the frying-pan; add a few drops of ketchup or vinegar and a gill of water; stir all together on the fire to boil for five minutes, and pour this sauce over the cutlets. A dish of cutlets of any kind of meat may be prepared as above.

Fried Cabbage and Bacon.

First, boil the cabbage, and when done and drained free from water, chop it up. Next fry some rashers of bacon, and when done, lay them on a plate before the fire; put the chopped cabbage in the frying-pan, and fry it with the fat from the bacon, then put this on a dish with the rashers upon it.

How to make an Omelet.

Break three or four eggs into a basin, add a little chopped shalot, and parsley, pepper, and salt; put an ounce of butter in a frying-pan on the fire, and as soon as the butter begins to fry, beat up the eggs, etc., with a fork for two minutes; immediately pour the whole into the frying-pan, and put it on the fire, stirring the eggs with an iron spoon as they become set and the omelet appears nearly done; fold all together in the form of a bolster, and turn it out on to its dish.

Fried Eggs and Bacon.

First, fry the rashers of bacon, and then break the eggs into the frying-pan without disturbing the yolks, and as soon as these are just set, or half-done, slip them out on to the rashers of bacon which you have already placed in a dish.

Buttered Eggs.

Fry half an ounce of butter in a frying-pan, then break three or four eggs into this; season with chopped parsley, pepper and salt, and again set the pan on the fire for two minutes. At the end of this time the eggs will be sufficiently set to enable you to slip them gently out of the pan upon a plate; and to finish cooking the eggs, it will be necessary to place them or hold them in front of the fire for a couple of minutes longer.

Eggs with Brown Butter.

Cook the eggs as directed in the recipe above for Buttered Eggs, and when you have slipped them out on to a dish, put a piece of butter into the frying-pan, and stir it on the fire until it becomes quite brown (not burnt); then add two table-spoonfuls of vinegar, pepper, and salt; boil for two minutes, and pour this over the eggs.

Eggs Stewed with Cheese.

Fry three eggs in a pan with one ounce of butter, seasoned with pepper and salt, and when the eggs are just set firm at the bottom of the pan, slip them off on to a dish, cover them all over with some very thin slices of cheese, set the dish before the fire to melt the cheese, and then eat this cheap little tit-bit with some toast.

Jugged Hare.

It does sometimes happen that when you are living in the country, in the neighbourhood of considerate gentlefolks who possess game preserves, that they now and then make presents of a hare and a few rabbits to the poor cottagers in their vicinity. And when you are so fortunate as to have a hare given to you, this is the way to cook it:—First, cut the hare up into pieces of equal size, then cut up a pound of bacon into small squares, and fry these in a saucepan for five minutes; next, add the pieces of hare, and, stirring them round in the pot with a spoon, fry them brown; add a good handful of flour, some pepper and allspice, carrots and onions, and a sprig of winter savory; moisten the stew with nearly three pints of water, and stir it all together on the fire till it boils, and then set it on the hob to continue gently simmering for about an hour and a-half or two hours; the jugged hare will then be ready for dinner.

Beefsteaks, Plain.

When you happen to have a clear fire, the steaks may be cooked on a gridiron over the fire; the steaks must be turned on the gridiron every two or three minutes. This precaution assists very much in rendering the meat more palatable and tender, as it is by this frequent turning over of the meat while broiling, that the juices are not allowed to run off in waste, but are re-absorbed by the meat. When the steaks are cooked, rub them over with a small bit of butter, season with pepper and salt. A little chopped shalot sprinkled over steaks, imparts an extra relish.

Mutton Chops, or Steaks.

Mutton chops, properly speaking, are an expensive affair; but what I recommend you to buy is, the chump end of the loin of mutton, which is always to be had much cheaper. This weighs about one pound, at 6d., and would cut into about three, or perhaps four steaks or chops; let these be broiled in the same manner as recommended for beefsteaks recipe above.

The Lady’s Own Cookery Book, And New Dinner-Table Directory; In which will be found A LARGE COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL RECEIPTS, Including not only THE RESULT OF THE AUTHERESS’S MANY YEARS OBSERVATION, EXPERIENCE, AND RESEARCH, but also the CONTRIBUTIONS OF AN EXTENSIVE CIRCLE OF ACQUAINTANCE: Adapted to the use of PERSONS LIVING IN THE HIGHEST STYLE, as well as those of MODERATE FORTUNE. [1844]

Eels, to fry.

Cut every eel into eight pieces; mix them with a proper quantity of yolks of eggs, and well season with pepper, and salt, and bread rubbed fine, with parsley and thyme; then flour them, and fry them. You may cook them as plain as you like, with only salt and flour, and serve them up with melted butter and fried parsley.

Mullet, to fry.

Carefully scale and gut the fish, score them across the back, and then dip them into melted butter. Melt some butter in a stewpan; let it clarify. Fry your mullet in it; when done, lay them on a warm dish. Sauce—anchovy and butter.

Scallops.

Pick the scallops, and wash them extremely clean; make them very dry. Flour them a very little. Fry them of a fine light brown. Make a nice, strong, light sauce of veal and a little ham; thicken a very little, and gently stew the scallops in it for half an hour.

Smelts, to fry.

Dry and rub them with yolk of egg; flour or strew some fine bread crumbs on them; when fried, lay them in the dish with their tails in the middle of it. Anchovy sauce.

Turbot, to fry.

It must be a small turbot. Cut it across, as if it were ribbed; when it is quite dry, flour it, and put it into a large frying-pan with boiling butter enough to cover it; fry it brown, then drain it. Put in enough claret to cover it, two anchovies, salt, a scruple of nutmeg and ginger, and let it stew slowly till half the liquor is wasted; then take it out, and put in a piece of butter, of the size of a walnut, rolled in flour, and a lemon minced, juice and all. Let these ingredients simmer till of a proper thickness. Rub a hot dish with an eschalot or onion; pour the sauce in, and lay the turbot carefully in the midst.

Eggs buttered. No. 1.

Take the yolks and whites; set them over the fire with a bit of butter, and a little pepper and salt; stir them a minute or two. When they become rather thick and a little turned in small lumps, pour them on a buttered toast.

Eggs buttered. No. 2.

Put a lump of butter, of the size of a walnut; beat up two eggs; add a little cream, and put in the stewpan, stirring them till they are hot. Add pepper and salt, and lay them on toast.

Eggs buttered. No. 3.

Beat the eggs well together with about three spoonfuls of cream and a little salt; set the mass over a slow fire, stirring till it becomes thick, without boiling, and have a toast ready buttered to pour it upon.

Milk with a little butter, about the size of a walnut, may be used instead of the cream.

Eggs to fry as round as Balls.

Put three pints of clarified butter into a deep stewpan; heat it as hot as for fritters, and stir the butter with a stick till it turns round like a whirlpool. Break an egg into the middle, and turn it round with the stick till it is as hard as a poached egg. The whirling round of the butter makes it as round as a ball. Take it up with a slice; put it in a dish before the fire. Do as many as you want; they will be soft, and keep hot half an hour. Serve on stewed spinach.

Omelets.

should be fried in a small frying-pan, made for the purpose; with a small quantity of butter. Their great merit is to be thick; therefore use only half the number of whites that you do of yolks of eggs. The following ingredients are the basis of all omelets: parsley, shalot, a portion of sweet-herbs, ham, tongue, anchovy, grated cheese, shrimps, oysters, &c.

Omelet. No. 1.

Slice very thin two onions, about two ounces each; put them in a stewpan with three ounces of butter; keep the pan covered till done, stirring now and then, and, when of a nice brown, stir in as much flour as will produce a stiff paste. Add by degrees as much water or milk as will make it the thickness of good cream, and stew it with pepper and salt; have ready hard-boiled eggs (four or five); you may either shred or cut them in halves or quarters.

Omelet. No. 2.

Beat five eggs lightly together, a small quantity of shalot, shred quite fine; parsley, and a few mushrooms. Fry, and be careful not to let it burn. When done add a little sauce.

Omelet. No. 3.

Break five eggs into a basin; add half a pint of cream, a table-spoonful of flour, a little pounded loaf-sugar, and a little salt. Beat it up with a whisk for five minutes; add candied citron and orange peel; fry it in two ounces of butter.

Omelet. No. 4.

Take six or seven eggs, a gill of good cream, chopped parsley, thyme, a very small quantity, shalot, pepper, salt, and a little grated nutmeg. Put a little butter in your frying-pan, which must be very clean or the omelet will not turn out. When your butter is melted, and your omelet well beat, pour it in, put it on a gentle fire, and as it sets keep moving and mixing it with a spoon. Add a little more butter if required. When it is quite loose from the bottom, turn it over on the dish in which it is to be served.

Omelet. No. 5.

Break eight eggs into an earthen pan, with a little pepper and salt, and water sufficient to dissolve the salt; beat the eggs well. Throw an ounce and a half of fresh butter into a frying-pan; melt it over the fire; pour the eggs into the pan; keep turning them continually, but never let the middle part be over the fire. Gather all the border, and roll it before it is too much done; the middle must be kept hollow. Roll it together before it is served. A little chopped parsley and onions may be mixed with the butter and eggs, and a little shalot or pounded ham.

Omelet. No. 6.

Four eggs, a little scraped beef, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, lemon peel, parsley, burnet, chervil, and onion, all fried in lard or butter.

Asparagus Omelet.

Beat up six eggs, put some cream to them. Boil some asparagus, cut off the green heads, and mix with the eggs; add pepper and salt. Make the pan hot; put in some butter; fry the omelet, and serve it hot.

A French Omelet.

Beat up six eggs; put to them a quarter of a pint of cream, some pepper, salt, and nutmeg; beat them well together. Put a quarter of a pound of butter, made hot, into your omelet-pan, and fry it of a light brown. Double it once, and serve it up plain, or with a white sauce under it. If herbs are preferred, there should be a little parsley shred, and green onion cut very fine, and serve up fried.

Beef Olives.

Take a rump of beef, cut into steaks, about five inches long and not half an inch thick. Lay on some good forcemeat, made with veal; roll them, and tie them round once or twice, to keep them in a neat shape. Mix some crumbs of bread, egg, a little grated nutmeg, pepper and salt; fry them brown; have ready some good gravy, with a few truffles, morels, and mushrooms, boiled together. Pour it into the dish and send them to table, after taking off the string that tied them in shape.

Another way.

Cut steaks from the inside of the sirloin, about an inch thick, six inches long, and four or five broad: beat and rub them over with yolk of egg; strew on bread crumbs, parsley chopped, lemon-peel shred, pepper and salt, and chopped suet. Roll them up tight, skewer them; fry or brown them in a Dutch oven; stew them in some beef broth or gravy until tender. Thicken the gravy with a little flour; add ketchup, and a little lemon juice, and, to enrich it, add pickled mushrooms, hard yolks of eggs, and forcemeat balls.

Scotch Collops.

Take a piece of the fillet of veal, as much as will cut into fifteen pieces, of the size and thickness of a crown-piece; shake a little flour over it; put a little butter into a frying-pan, and melt it; fry the slices of veal quick till they are brown, and lay them in a dish near the fire. Then prepare a sauce thus: take a little butter in a stewpan and melt it; add a table-spoonful of flour; stir it about till it is as smooth as cream; put in half a pint each of beef and veal jelly, cayenne pepper and salt, a pinch of each, and one glass of white wine, twenty-four pieces of truffles the size of a shilling, and a table-spoonful of mushrooms: wash them thoroughly from vinegar; squeeze the juice of half a lemon; stew the sauce gently for one hour; then throw in the veal, and stew it all together for five minutes. Serve quite hot, laying the veal regularly in the dish.

Another way.

Cut the lean part of a leg of veal into thin collops; beat them with the back of a knife; season with pepper and salt, shred thyme and parsley, and flour them well. Reserve some of the meat to make balls. Taking as much suet as meat, shred it small; then beat it in a mortar; season with pepper, salt, shred herbs, a little shred onion, and a little allspice. Put in an egg or two, according to the quantity. Make balls, and fry them in good dripping; keep them warm. Then fry your collops with clarified butter, till they are brown enough; and, while they are warming in the pan, put in your sauce, which must be made thus:—have some good glaze, a little white wine, a good piece of butter, and two yolks of eggs. Put your balls to the collops; flour and make them very hot in the pan; put in your sauce, shake them well, and let them boil. If you would have them white, put strong broth instead of glaze and half a pint of cream.

Scotch Collops, brown.

Cut your collops thin and from the fillet. Season them with salt and pepper, and fry them off quick and brown. Brown a piece of butter thickened with flour, and put in some good gravy, mushrooms, morels, truffles, and forcemeat balls, with sweetbread dried. Squeeze in a lemon, and let the whole boil till of a proper thickness. Then put in your collops, but do not let them boil; toss them up quick, and serve up.

Collops, White. No. 1.

Take a small slice of veal, cut thin slices from it, and beat them out very thin: butter a frying-pan very lightly, place them in it, and pass them on the fire, but not to get any colour. Trim them round, and put them into white sauce.

Collops, White. No. 2.

Cut the veal very thin; put it into a stewpan with a piece of butter and one clove of shalot; toss it in a pan for a few minutes. Have ready to put to it some cream, more or less according to the quantity of veal, a piece of butter mixed with flour, the yolk of an egg, a little nutmeg, and a tea-spoonful of lemon-pickle. Stir it over the fire till it is thick enough, but do not let it boil. If you choose forcemeat balls, have them ready boiled in water, and take out the shalot before you dish up: ten minutes will do them.

Collops, White. No. 3.

Hack and cut your collops well; season with pepper and salt, and fry them quick of a pale colour in a little bit of butter. Squeeze in a lemon: put in half a pint of cream and the yolks of four eggs. Toss them up quick, and serve them hot.

Neck of Mutton, to fry.

Take the best end of a neck of mutton, cut it into steaks, beat them with a rolling-pin, strew some salt on them, and lay them in a frying-pan: hold the pan over a slow fire that may not burn them: turn them as they heat, and there will be gravy enough to fry them in, till they are half done. Then put to them some good gravy; let them fry together, till they are done; add a good bit of butter, shake it up, and serve it hot with pickles.

Veal Sweetbreads, to fry.

Cut each of your sweetbreads in three or four pieces and blanch them: put them for two hours in a marinade made with lemon-juice, salt, pepper, cloves, a bay leaf, and an onion sliced. Take the sweetbreads out of the marinade, and dry them with a cloth; dip them in beaten yolk of eggs, with crumbs of bread; fry them in lard till they are brown; drain them; fry some parsley, and put it in the middle of the dish, and serve them.

Chickens, to fry.

Scald and split them; put them in vinegar and water, as much as will cover them, with a little pepper and salt, an onion, a slice or two of lemon, and a sprig or two of thyme, and let them lie two hours in the pickle. Dry them with a cloth; flour and fry them in clarified butter, with soft bread and a little of the pickle.

Pigeons in fricandeau.

Draw and truss the pigeons with the legs in the bellies, larding them with bacon, and slit them. Fry them of a fine brown in butter: put into the stewpan a quart of good gravy, a little lemon-pickle, a tea-spoonful of walnut ketchup, cayenne, a little salt, a few truffles, morels, and some yolks of hard eggs. Pour your sauce with its ingredients over the pigeons, when laid in the dish.

Pancakes, No. 1

Mix a quart of milk with as much flour as will make it into a thin batter; break in six eggs; put in a little salt, a glass of raisin wine, a spoonful of beaten ginger; mix all well together; fry and sprinkle them with sugar.
In making pancakes or fritters, always make your batter an hour before you begin frying, that the flour may have time to mix thoroughly. Never fry them till they are wanted, or they will eat flat and insipid. Add a little lemon-juice or peel.


Pancakes. No. 2.

To a pint of cream put three spoonfuls of sack [fortified wine], half a pint of flour, six eggs, but only three whites; grate in some nutmeg, very little salt, a quarter of a pound of butter melted, and some sugar. After the first pancake, lay them on a dry pan, very thin, one upon another, till they are finished, before the fire; then lay a dish on the top, and turn them over, so that the brown side is uppermost. You may add or diminish the quantity in proportion. This is a pretty supper dish.

Pancakes. No. 3.

Break three eggs, put four ounces and a half of flour, and a little milk, beat it into a smooth batter; then add by degrees as much milk as will make it the thickness of good cream. Make the frying-pan hot, and to each pancake put a bit of butter nearly the size of a walnut; when melted, pour in the batter to cover the bottom of the pan; make them of the thickness of half a crown. The above will do for apple fritters, by adding one spoonful more flour; peel and cut your apples in thick slices, take out the core, dip them in the batter, and fry them in hot lard; put them in a sieve to drain; grate some loaf sugar over them.

French Pancakes.

Beat the yolks of eight eggs, which sweeten to your taste, nearly a table-spoonful of flour, a little brandy, and half a pint of cream. They are not to be turned in the frying-pan. When half done, take the whites beaten to a strong froth, and put them over the pancakes. When these are done enough, roll them over, sugar them, and brown them with a salamander.

Grillon’s Pancakes.

Two soup-ladles of flour, three yolks of eggs, and four whole ones, two tea-spoonfuls of orange-flower water, six ratafia cakes, a pint of double cream; to be stirred together, and sugar to be shaken over every pancake, which is not to be turned—about thirty in number.

Quire of Paper Pancakes.

Take to a pint of cream eight eggs, leaving out two whites, three spoonfuls of fine flour, three of sack, one of orange-flower water, a little sugar, a grated nutmeg, a quarter of a pound of butter melted in the cream. Mix a little of the cream with flour, and so proceed by degrees that it may be smooth: then beat all well together. Butter the pan for the first pancake, and let them run as thin as possible to be whole. When one side is coloured, it is enough; take them carefully out of the pan, lay them as even on each other as possible; and keep them near the fire till they are all fried. The quantity here given makes twenty.

Rice Pancakes.

In a quart of milk mix by degrees three spoonfuls of flour of rice, and boil it till it is as thick as pap. As it boils, stir in half a pound of good butter and a nutmeg grated. Pour it into a pan, and, when cold, put in by degrees three or four spoonfuls of flour, a little salt, some sugar, and nine eggs, well beaten up. Mix them all together, and fry them in a small pan, with a little piece of butter.

Yorkshire Fritters.

To two quarts of flour take two spoonfuls of yest, mixed with a little warm milk. Let it rise. Take nine eggs, leaving out four whites, and temper your dough to the consistence of paste. Add currants or apples, and a little brandy or rose-water. Roll the fritters thin, and fry them in lard.

The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined By John Mollard, Cook, [1802]

A sweet Omlet of Eggs.

Mix well together ten eggs, half a gill of cream, a quarter of a pound of oiled fresh butter and a little syrup of nutmeg; sweeten it with loaf sugar, put the mixture into a prepared frying pan as for a savory omlet, fry it in the same manner, and serve it up with a little sifted sugar over it.

Omlet of Eggs.

Break ten eggs, add to them a little parsley and one eschallot chopped fine, one anchovie picked and rubbed through a hair sieve, a small quantity of grated ham, a little pepper, and mix them well together. Have ready an iron frying-pan, which has been prepared over a fire with a bit of butter burnt in it for some time, in order that the eggs might not adhere to the pan when turned out. Wipe the pan very clean and dry; put into it two ounces of fresh butter, and when hot put in the mixture of eggs; then stir it with a wooden spoon till it begins to thicken, mould it to one side of the pan, let it remain one minute to brown, put a stewpan cover over it, and turn it over into a dish, and if approved (which will be a good addition) pour round it a little strong cullis, and serve it up very hot.

There may be added also, a small quantity of boiled tops of asparagus or celery, some fowl, or oysters, or other ingredients, pounded and rubbed through a sieve, with a table spoonful of cream and one of ketchup. Then add the pulp to the eggs, beat them well together, and fry them as above. Or the mixture, instead of being fried, may be put over a fire and stirred till it begins to thicken; then put it on a toast, colour it with a hot salamander, and serve it up with a little cullis or benshamelle, or green truffle sauce underneath.

Fried Eggs, &c.

Take slices of ham or rashers of bacon, and broil, drain, and put them into a deep plate. Have ready a little boiling lard in a stewpan, break the eggs into it, and when they are set, turn and fry them not more than two minutes. Then take them out with a skimmer, drain them, and serve them up very hot over the bacon or ham. Put a strong cullis [gravy], with a little mustard and vinegar (but no salt) in it, under them.

Buttered Eggs.

Break twelve eggs into a stewpan, add a little parsley chopped fine, one anchovie picked and rubbed through a hair sieve, two table spoonfuls of consumé or essence of ham, a quarter of a pound of fresh butter made just warm, and a small quantity of cayenne pepper. Beat all together, set them over a fire, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon till they are of a good thickness, and to prevent their burning. Serve them up in a deep dish with a fresh toast under them.

Slices of Cod fried with Oysters.

Egg, breadcrumb, and fry in boiling lard, some slices of crimped cod; when done, drain them dry, serve them up with oyster sauce in the center, made in the same manner as for beef steaks.

Fried Onions with Parmezan Cheese.

Pare six large mild onions, and cut them into round slices of half an inch thick. Then make a batter with flour, half a gill of cream, a little pepper, salt, and three eggs, beat up for ten minutes; after which add a quarter of a pound of parmezan cheese grated fine and mixed well together, to which add the onions.

Have ready boiling lard; then take the slices of onions out of the batter with a fork singly, and fry them gently till done and of a nice brown colour. Drain them dry, and serve them up placed round each other. Melted butter with a little mustard in it to be served in a sauce boat.

Rissoles.

Cut into small slips breast of fowl, lean ham, pickle cucumbers, and anchovies; add to them consumé, cayenne pepper, breadcrumbs, and raw yolk of egg. Simmer them over a fire for five minutes, and be careful not to let the mixture burn. Then put the mixture on a plate, and when cold, cut into pieces, and dip them in yolk of raw egg, afterwards in fine breadcrumbs, and mould them with the hands into what form you please. Have ready boiling lard, fry them of a nice colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley under.

To fry Parsley.

Take fresh gathered parsley, pick, wash, and drain it very dry with a cloth. Have ready clean boiling lard, put the parsley into it, keep stirring with a skimmer, and when a little crisp, take it out, put it on a drainer, and strew salt over.

To fry Breadcrumbs.

Rub crumbs of bread through a hair sieve, have ready a clean frying pan, put them into it with a piece of fresh butter, set them over a moderate fire, keep stirring with a wooden spoon till they are of a light brown colour, and put them upon a plate.

Fried Potatoes.

Pare and slice potatoes half an inch thick; then wipe them dry, flour, and put them into boiling hot lard or dripping, and fry them of a light brown colour. Then drain them dry, sprinkle a little salt over, and serve them up directly with melted butter in a sauce boat.

Pancakes.

To half a pound of best white flour sifted add a little salt, grated nutmeg, cream or new milk, and mix them well together; then whisk eight eggs, put them to the above, and beat the mixture for ten minutes till perfectly smooth and light, and let it be of a moderate thickness.

When the cakes are to be fried, put a little piece of lard or fresh butter in each frying-pan over a regular fire, and when hot put in the mixture, a sufficient quantity just to cover the bottom of each pan, fry them of a nice colour, and serve them up very hot. Serve with them, likewise, some sifted loaf sugar, pounded cinnamon, and seville orange, on separate plates.

N. B. Before the frying pans are used let them be prepared with a bit of butter put into each and burnt; then wipe them very clean with a dry cloth, as this method prevents the batter from sticking to the pan when frying.

Hard Eggs fried.

Let the eggs be boiled five minutes; then peel, wipe them dry, cut them in halves, dip them in batter, and fry them of a light brown colour. Serve them up with stewed spinach under, with a little strong cullis and essence of ham mixed in it.

To dress a Lamb’s Fry.

Scald the fry till half done; then strain, wash, and wipe it dry; dip the pieces in yolks of eggs, and breadcrumb them; fry them in plenty of boiling lard, and serve them up with fried parsley underneath.

Another Way.

Scald the fry as above, and instead of dipping them in egg fry them in a plain way with a piece of butter till they are of a light brown colour; then drain and sprinkle a little pepper and salt over, and serve them up with fried parsley underneath.

To prepare a Batter for frying the following different articles, being a sufficient quantity for one Dish.

Take four ounces of best flour sifted, a little salt and pepper, three eggs, and a gill of beer; beat them together with a wooden spoon or a whisk for ten minutes. Let it be of a good thickness to adhere to the different articles.

Fried Celery.

Cut celery heads three inches long, boil them till half done, wipe them dry, and add to the batter . Have ready boiling lard, take out the heads singly with a fork, fry them of a light colour, drain them dry, and serve them up with fried parsley under.

Fried Peths.

To be done, and served up in the same manner as the above.

Fried Sweetbreads.

Let some throat sweetbreads be blanched, then cut into slices, and served up in the like way.

Fried Artichoke Bottoms.

Let the chokes be boiled till the leaves can be taken away, then cut the bottoms into halves and fry them in batter as the beforementioned articles; then serve them up with melted butter in a sauce boat with a little ground white pepper in it.

Fried Tripe and Onions.

Cut the tripe into slips of four inches long and three inches wide, dip them in the batter [see recipe above] and fry them. When it is to be served up put under it slices of onions cut one inch thick, and fry them in the same manner. Or, instead of slips of tripe, pieces of cowheel may be used; and let melted butter be sent in a sauce boat with a little mustard in it, and (if approved) a table spoonful of vinegar.

The Queen-like Closet or Rich Cabinet by Hannah Woolley Stored with all manner of RARE RECEIPTS For Preserving, Candying and Cookery. Very Pleasant and Beneficial to all Ingenious Persons of the FEMALE SEX. [1670] 2nd Edition

To make a green Tansie to fry, or boil over a Pot.

Take a Quart of Cream, the yolks of one dozen of Eggs and half, their Whites well beat, mix them together, and put in one Nutmeg grated, then colour it well with the Juice of Spinage, and sweeten it with Sugar; then fry it with Butter as you do the other, and serve it in the same manner; but you must lay thin slices of Limon upon this.

If you will not fry it, then butter a Dish, and pour it therein, and set it upon a Pot of boiling water till it be enough; this is the better and easier way.

Thus you may make Tansies of any other things, as Cowslips, Rasberries, Violets, Marigolds, Gilliflowers, or any such like, and colour them with their Juice; you may use green Wheat instead of Spinage.

To make an Amulet.

Take twelve Eggs, beat them and strain them, put to them three or four spoonfuls of Cream, then put in a little Salt, and having your frying-pan ready with some Butter very hot, pour it in, and when you have fryed it a little, turn over both the sides into the middle, then turn it on the other side, and when it is fryed, serve it to the table with Verjuice, Butter and Sugar.

To make a Sussex Pancake.

Take only some very good Pie Paste made with hot Liquor, and roul it thin, and fry it with Butter, and serve it in with beaten spice and sugar as hot as you can.

To make fryed Nuts.

Take Eggs, Flower, Spice and Cream, and make it into a Paste, then make it into round Balls and fry them, they must be as big as Walnuts, be sure to shake them well in the Pan and fry them brown, then roul some out thin, and cut them into several shapes, and fry them, so mix them together, and serve them in with Spice beaten and Sugar.

To make a Bacon Froize.

Take eight Eggs well beaten, and a little Cream, and a little Flower, and beat them well together to be like other Batter, then fry very thin slices of Bacon, and pour some of this over, then fry it, and turn the other side, and pour more upon that, so fry it and serve it to the Table.

To fry Veal.

Cut part of a Leg of Veal into thin slices, and hack them with the back of a Knife, then season them with beaten Spice and Salt, and lard them well with Hogs Lard, then chop some sweet herbs, and beat some Eggs and mix together and dip them therein, and fry them in Butter, then stew them with a little white Wine and some Anchovies a little while, then put in some Butter, and shake them well, and serve them in with sliced Limon over them.

To make good Pancakes.

Take twenty Eggs with half the Whites, and beat them well and mix them with fine flower and beaten Spice, a little Salt, Sack, Ale, and a little Yeste, do not make your Batter too thin, then beat it well, and let it stand a little while to rise, then fry them with sweet Lard or with Butter, and serve them in with the Juice of Orange and Sugar.

To make Pancakes so crisp as you may set them upright.

Make a dozen or a score of them in a little Frying-pan, no bigger than a Sawcer, then boil them in Lard, and they will look as yellow as Gold, and eat very well.

To fry Artichokes.

Take the bottoms of Artichokes tenderly boiled, and dip them in beaten
Eggs and a little Salt, and fry them with a little Mace shred among the
Eggs; then take Verjuice, Butter and Sugar, and the Juice of an Orange,
Dish your Artichokes, and lay on Marrow fried in Eggs to keep it whole,
then lay your Sauce, or rather pour it on, and serve them in.

To fry Museles, or Oysters, or Cockles to serve in with Meat, or by themselves.

Take any of these and parboil them in their own Liquor, then dry them, flower them, and fry them, then put them into a Pipkin with Claret wine, whole Spice and Anchovies, and a little butter, so let them stew together, and serve them in either with a Duck, or by themselves, as you like best.

To smoor Chickens.

Cut them in Joints and fry them with sweet Butter, then take white Wine, Parsley and Onions chopp’d small, whole Mace and a little gross Pepper, a little Sugar, Verjuice and Butter, let these and your fried Chicken boil together, then fry the Leaves of Clary with Eggs, put in a little Salt to your Chickens, and when they are enough, serve them in this fried Clary, and garnish your Dish with Barberries.

To smoor Steaks of Mutton another way.

Cut part of a Leg of Mutton into steaks, and fry it in White Wine and a little salt, a bundle of herbs, and a little Limon Pill, then put it into a Pipkin with some sliced Limon, without the Rind, and some of the Liquor it was fried in, and Butter and a little Parslie, boil all together till you see it be enough, then serve it in, and garnish your Dish with Limon and Barberries.

To smoor Veal.

Cut thin slices of Veal and hack them over with the back of a Knife, then lard them with Lard, and Fry them with strong Beer or Ale till they be enough, then stew them in Claret wine with some whole Spice and Butter and a little salt.

Garnish your Dish with Sausages fryed; and with Barberries, to serve them in.

To make Kickshaws, to bake or fry in what shape you please.

Take some Puff-paste and roul it thin, if you have Moulds work it upon them with preserved Pippins, and so close them, and fry or bake them, but when you have closed them you must dip them in the yolks of Eggs, and that will keep all in; fill some with Goosberries, Rasberries, Curd, Marrow, Sweet-breads, Lambs Stones, Kidney of Veal, or any other thing what you like best, either of them being seasoned before you put them in according to your mind, and when they are baked or fryed, strew Sugar on them, and serve them in.

To make Apple Puffs.

Take a Pomewater, or any other Apple that is not hard or harsh in taste, mince it with a few Raisins of the Sun stoned, then wet them with Eggs, and beat them together with the back of a Spoon, season them with Nutmeg, Rosewater, Sugar, and Ginger, drop them into a frying pan with a Spoon into hot Butter, and fry them, then serve them in with the juice of an Orange and a little Sugar and Butter.

To make French Puffs.

Take Spinage Parsley and Endive, with a little Winter savory, and wash them, and mince them very fine; season them with Nutmeg, Ginger and Sugar, season them with Eggs, and put in a little Salt, then cut a Limon into thin round slices, and upon every slice of Limon lay one spoonful of it.

Then fry them, and serve them in upon some Sippets, and pour over them
Sack, Sugar and butter.

To make a Fricasie of Eggs.

Beat twelve Eggs with Cream, Sugar, beaten spice and Rosewater, then take thin slices of Pomewater Apple, and fry them well with sweet Butter; when they are enough, take them up, and cleanse your pan, then put in more butter and make it hot, and put in half your Eggs and fry them; then when the one side is fryed lay your Apples all over the side which is not fryed, then pour in the rest of your Eggs, and then turn it and fry the other side, then serve it in with the Juice of an Orange and Butter, and Sugar.

To make blanched Manchet.

Take six Eggs, half a Pint of sweet cream, and a penny Manchet grated, one Nutmeg grated, two spoonfuls of Rosewater, and two Ounces of Sugar, work it stiff like a Pudding, then fry it in a very little frying-pan, that it may be thick.

Fry it brown, and turn it upon a Pie-Plate; cut it in quarters and strew
Sugar on it and serve it in.

To make Fritters.

Take the Curds of a Sack Posset, the Yolks of six Eggs, and the Whites of two, with a little fine Flower to make it into a thick Batter, put in also a Pomewater cut in small pieces, some beaten Spice, warm Cream, and a spoonful of Sack, and a little strong Ale; mingle all these very well, and beat them well, and fry them in very hot Lard, and serve them in with beaten Spice and fine Sugar.

To make Fritters.

Take half a Pint of Sack and a Pint of Ale, a little Yest, the yolks of twelve Eggs, and six Whites, with some beaten Spice and a very little salt, make this into thick Batter with fine Flower, then boil your Lard, and dip round thin slices of Apples in this Batter, and fry them; serve them in with beaten spice and sugar.

To make little Pasties with sweet Meats to fry.

Make some Paste with cold water, butter and flower, with the yolk of an Egg, then roul it out in little thin Cakes, and lay one spoonful of any kind of Sweet meats you like best upon every one, so close them up and fry them with Butter, and serve them in with fine Sugar strewed on.

To fry Garden Beans.

Boil them and blanch them, and fry them in Sweet Butter, with Parsley and shred Onions and a little Salt, then melt Butter for the Sauce.

To make a Fricasie of Eels.

Take a midling sort of Eels, scour them well, and cut off the heads and throw them away, then gut them, and cut them in pieces, then put them into a frying pan with so much white Wine and water as will cover them, then put in whole Spice, a bundle of sweet herbs and a little Salt, let them boil, and when they be very tender, take them up and lay them into a warm Dish, then add to their Liquor two Anchovies, some Butter and the yolks of Eggs, and pour over them:

Thus you may make Fricasies of Cockles or of Shrimps, or Prawns.

Garnish your Dish with Limon and Barberries.

To make a Fricasie of Oysters.

Take a quart of Oysters and put them into a frying pan with some white Wine and their own Liquor, a little Salt, and some whole Spice, and two or three Bay Leaves, when you think they be enough, lay them in a dish well warmed, then add to their Liquor two Anchovies, some Butter, and the yolks of four Eggs; Garnish your Dish with Barberries.

To fry Oysters.

Take of your largest Oysters, wash them and dry them, and beat an Egg or two very well, and dip them in that, and so fry them, then take their Liquor, and put an Anchovy to it, and some Butter, and heat them together over the fire, and having put your fryed Oysters in a Dish, pour the Sawce over them and serve them in.

To fry Pompion.

Cut it in thin slices when it is pared, and steep it in Sack a while, then dip it in Eggs, and fry it in Butter, and put some Sack and Butter for Sauce, so serve it in with salt about the Dish brims.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected !!